subject: What Big Pharma didn't say on 60 Mins [print this page] What Big Pharma didn't say on 60 Mins What Big Pharma didn't say on 60 Mins
Recently 60 MINUTES aired a program showing police raiding a Peruvian facility that packaged and manufactured illicit drugs. This counterfeit facility was found by a Pfizer led investigation that informed the police about the lab in Peru. Pfizer filmed the raid, which also included a special global security team, that orchestrated the show on 60 minutes. Ironically CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta, was there at the time of the raid when all the drugs were confiscated.
This was an important broadcast to bring this sort of situation to light. It is most disturbing that counterfeit drugs are being manufactured and distributed that could harm people. Yet what was almost as disturbing was that although it was prudent that this be brought to the public's attention, one of the first things the broadcast mentioned was that "counterfeit operations like these are costing drug companies millions of dollars a year".
The problem with the way this broadcast presented the facts was that it used this as an opportunity to say that "big pharma" is great and that anything else is not. Although in the broadcast they made mention of a situation, in what would seem to be an effort to seem transparent, as they discussed the heparin incident that occurred in 2008. Interestingly they failed to highlight that this was a drug sold in the US that had received under FDA approval. Perhaps the drugs distributed by River Pharmacy are set to pass a higher standard, as they must pass the World Heath Organization, not solely those required by the FDA alone.
The 60 MINUTES broadcast was quick to highlight that websites that sell medications might get them from other countries, to which they included India and even an Indian inmate who talked about how anything could be manufactured in India. What they failed to mention is that there are many valid and valuable companies that manufacture prescription medications that come from India including many from your favorite Big Pharma big hit list including Pfizer. What they also failed to mention is that India has many standards like the recent Patents Amendment of 2005 passed by the Indian Parliament with specific regulatory notations directed at pharmaceutical manufacturing and distribution.
Interestingly enough, Pfizer who sponsored the piece on 60 MINUTES still outsources many US jobs as they noted in one of the reports released to investors. Of course this sound appealing to those investing, but they clearly wouldn't highlight this when they were condescending about the purchasing medication online. Under a section noted as "Operational Excellence" Pfizer boasts, "PGM is establishing a competitive "make or buy" supply network. We expect to increase outsourced manufacturing of products from approximately 17 percent to 30 percent over the next three years." On their Pfizer India website (yes they have a Pfizer India page) they not only talk about the plants in India but the benefit of their other locations, "PGM has manufacturing operations at 86 locations worldwide supporting all major markets. It supports Pfizer's business objective of meeting the demand for Pfizer products and is used as a strategic resource in launching drugs and products quickly after regulatory approval has been received."
Pfizer doesn't stand alone as many of the other drug manufacturers utilize international manufacturing resources. Bristol Myers Squibb, employs 44,000 people worldwide and has operations in 27 countries. Merck, Astra-Zeneca, Bayer, Glaxo Smith-Kline, Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly all utiize overseas manufactoring plants.
Clearly as with everything on the internet, you must be careful of scams. This subject is no different, and although disconcerting to think how many people had lost their lives and been put at a significant health risk it was misleading in the way 60 MINUTES conducted this report. It was irresponsible and had an 'eau d'propaganda if I may be so bold to say. Again, The River News Desk is not discrediting the valuable information that was drawn from this, but if they were going to start pointing a finger at some of the legitimate resources to scare people off from utilizing them, they should have offered full disclosure. By making implications that what seem like Canadian pharmacies are no longer good to order from, or that any company getting their goods from India might not be worthwhile was simply ludicrous.
Pfizer's shareholders must be losing piles of money. They wanted to scare people and they did, but we're here to offer the facts. However it is stretching it to say that because they found a Peruvian counterfeit lab that all drugs not made in the US are illegal. It is also laughable to say that drugs from India will probably be counterfeit as they conveniently left out the information on their manufacturing plants in India.
River Pharmacy is scrupulous when it comes to the safety and quality of the medications sold to our customers. To ensure this commitment we use leading manufacturers and wholesalers such as Pfizer, Wyeth, Ranbaxy, Glaxo, Cipla and Sun Pharma. These manufacturers all have USFDA, MHRA, UK, or WHO GMP certification and are MNC.
When you browse products on our website, you can see which manufacturer produces the drug that you are ordering. The manufacturers that we use must all abide by the Good Manufacturing Practice and the plants are inspected by a government body. Because the US manufacturers 98% of the drugs produced off shore, it is usually the FDA who governs the manufacture of imported consumer goods. Other regulatory government bodies include:
MHRA = Medicine and Healthcare Regulatory Agency, UK
MNC = Multi National Corporation Manufacturing Facility
WHO GMP = World Health Organization Good Manufacturing Practice
Medications purchased from River Pharmacy are all sold in blister packs. The manufacturer is clearly identified on each package and also identified on our web site. Each manufacturer can be found on the web. River Pharmacy has been in business for 8 years and has a loyal following of satisfied customers.
