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View Full Version : Ministry has been slow to act



NewsWhore
02-09-2009, 05:10 PM
The Ministry of Public Health was aware of the marketing of counterfeit anti-tetanus medicines in Dominican pharmacies, a report in El Caribe on Saturday says. The company Farmacuba, Importadora y Exportadora had alerted the Ministry in a letter that counterfeit product with their company name was circulating. El Caribe reports that Andres Montes Perea of Farmacuba notified Maria Villa de Pina, director of Drugs and Pharmacies of the Ministry of Public Health.
It was not until TV journalist Nuria Piera presented TV reports indicating that the forged medicines were behind the death of two persons that could have been saved if they had received the real gamma globulin injection that the Ministry of Public Health has taken action.
The Ministry of Public Health has said it has ordered the closing of the following businesses for selling fake medicines:
Distribuidora Ninoska (Brisal, Santo Domingo Este), Distribuidora Internacional Garcia S.A. (Ensanche Ozama, Calle Masoneria No. 100), Distribuidora DLF (Calle Agustin Lara, Serralles). Distribuidora Suplirami S.A. (Calle Centro Olimpico No 51, El Milon), Farmacia Matilde (San Martin 273), Distribuidora Vendisar S.A. (Av. Padre Castellanos 361, Luperon), Distribuidora C&N Comercial C. por A (Calle Montecristi 25, San Carlos), Farmacia Sanchez (Av. Del Rosario Sanchez 61, Los Guandules), Farmacia Rosa Maria (Calle Maria Montes 7, Villas Agricolas), Farmacia Manuel (Calle Priemra 353, Las Palmas de Herrera), most located in low income neighborhoods.
In an editorial, Hoy newspaper on Saturday urges the government to review its pharmaceutical controls, alerting that trafficking in fake medicines is a lucrative international business that moves millions. The newspaper says that as in the case of drug trafficking, trading in fake pharmaceuticals has obviously had the complicity of those in authority. The newspaper says that it is suspicious that the Dominican authorities have not put an end to this business. Pharmaceutical representatives have complained the government has not put tougher measures in place to stamp out the growing problem of trading in counterfeit medicines.
The Customs Department (DGA) has announced that it will do its part to help control the illegal trafficking of fake pharmaceuticals. Miguel Cocco, director of the DGA, said a recent search resulted in the seizure of a millionaire shipment, which had originated in Panama. Cocco voiced his staunch support for Ministry of Public Health and their efforts to curve the spread of fake pharmaceuticals.

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