Seattle Injury Lawyer Blog
You can’t turn on the television without seeing pharmaceutical advertisements offering to fix all that ails you. By marketing directly to the consumer, pharmaceuticals ensure that many drugs are asked for by name, a reality that makes these drugs very profitable. Because these pills are so profitable, those seeking a quick buck attempt to cash in illegally, placing everyone’s safety at risk.
Pharmaceutical fraud often takes the form of tampering and counterfeiting. Each year counterfeiting costs the pharmaceutical industry approximately $30 billion in losses, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
Even with advances in technology that fight pharmaceutical fraud, criminals are still finding ways to profit. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)reports that from 2009 to 2010 the rate of drug counterfeiting and tampering rose 11 percent.