Originally published August 20 2005
Counterfeit Lipitor recalled in Britain
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
In Britain, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency recalled the remainder of a 120,000-packet batch of Lipitor, a popular anti-cholesterol drug, after discovering the pills were counterfeit.
THOUSANDS of packets of an anti-cholesterol drug taken by millions of Britons as a treatment for heart disease are to be recalled after the discovery of counterfeit pills awaiting distribution to NHS patients.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is contacting all pharmacies in the country after identifying fake boxes of Lipitor, a powerful statin that is the world's bestselling drug.
Copies of the drug, which was prescribed by British doctors 11 million times last year, have been traced to two wholesalers in England and confirmed as counterfeit by laboratory tests in the past 48 hours.
It is not known how many patients may have taken the counterfeit pills and what effect they may have had on their medication regimes, although it is not thought to pose a serious risk to health.
After discovering 73 fake packets, the MHRA decided to recall all that remains of a 120,000-packet batch, each containing 28 x 20mg Lipitor pills, marked 004405K1 and imported into the country in February.
It is only the third time in the past ten years that counterfeits have been detected in the legitimate drug supply chain in Britain, and the first discovery of a drug used to treat a condition as serious as heart disease.
The recall was sent out to the country's 20,000 chemists and wholesalers, which act as commercial middlemen between manufacturer and chemists.
The rapid action by the agency is part of a new offensive against fake medication production, which is attracting a growing number of criminals and is regarded as one of the greatest threats to public health.
A taskforce has been set up, including former military personnel, police and experts on high-tech crime.
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