Pharmacists' association urges Health Canada to rein in phoney pharmacies

The body representing Canadian pharmacists who service patients around the globe is calling on the federal government to crack down on bogus internet pharmacies after a B.C. woman died after taking medication she bought online.

Dawn Polley, a spokeswoman for the Canadian International Pharmacy Association, says Health Canada should rein in those selling fake medication.

"Well, I think the role of Health Canada is to protect Canadians' health," Polley said. "I'm not sure if it is under their regulatory authority to do that, but I do think they have some sort of moral obligation to do that."

'At a superficial glance,[the pharmacies]look very realistic." Rose Stanton, Vancouver Island regional coroner

The Vancouver Island regional coroner, Rose Stanton, believes the 57-year-old woman from Quadra Island may have died after being poisoned by sedative and anti-anxiety pills she bought through a website. The pharmacy claimed to be in Canada.

Health Canada has launched an investigation into the death of Marcia Bergeron. The federal agency has not concluded that Bergeron died from taking the drugs.

Phoney pharmacies set up elaborate websites

Stanton said fraudulent pharmacies have set up elaborate websites that can seem very convincing to consumers.

"At a superficial glance, they look very realistic," she said. But she noted, on closer examination, the phoney sites contain false certification assurances and contact names.

"Look up the addresses they provide they don't exist," Stanton said. "You look up the organizations, the people [and]they don't exist they are close but they are not quite right."

In the United States, an FDA investigation found that 85 per cent of drugs being funnelled into the country purporting to be from Canadian pharmacies were in fact shipped from 27 other countries around globe. A number of the products were also determined to be counterfeit medications.

Legitimate Canadian pharmacies that sell drugs online will indicate they are licensed under a provincial college and will provide contact information for the store and its manager.

Health Canada advises consumers not to do business with a website that refuses to provide a way to contact a pharmacist for help.