MHRA close down 1,600 illegal websites in medicines bust

For a number of years Medical Specialists® Pharmacy – a safe, legitimate, fully registered online pharmacy with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB) and the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) – have waged a war against the growing trade of illegal websites selling potentially fatal drugs.

Usually, these websites have been meticulously crafted together by crooks looking to make a quick buck from the unknowing customers that come to them. Often the websites pretend to be that of a real pharmacy, but in reality, there are no doctors, pharmacists, or anyone with a health-related background involved in the illegal ‘pharmacy’, and the medicines and usually poorly made counterfeits too.

Unfortunately, these websites are springing up across all the major search engines, such as Google, and look to draw-in unsuspecting customers with suspiciously low prices and outrageously illegal offers on prescription drugs, such as “buy one get one free!”…This is particularly common amongst erectile dysfunction treatments such as Viagra and Cialis. However, imagine going to your own GP and he offers you 10 free Viagra tablets if you pay for 20 Cialis tablets to begin with, it is an absurd thought process, but it is the kind of thing that appears on illicit drug websites. There are also countless other easy ways to spot a fake online pharmacy.

The good news though is that medicines regulator The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) have successfully clamped down on these illegal websites, according to a new study.

The On Tap Report, conducted by UK defence and security think tank the Royal United Services Institute, states that there has been a dramatic increase in the number of such websites shut down, soaring from 200 in 2010 to more than 1,800 by 2014.

The fact there are so many websites emerging has been pinpointed to the fairly ‘low-risk and high reward’ involved with such illicit activities. For example, there is only a two year maximum prison sentence carried for offences under the 1968 Medicines Act. Not only this, most medicines are easy to duplicate because of standardised tablet sizes, vials and packets, due to high levels of regulation.
The report explains how the trade of illegal drug websites has managed to thrive primarily due to the relatively unregulated environment that is the internet. Unsurprisingly, most illegal pharmaceuticals are obtained over the internet compared to within high street pharmacies. In addition, it is estimated that more than half of our spam emails contain links to illegal websites, usually selling counterfeit drugs.

MHRA enforcement group manager Alastair Jeffrey spoke about the work of the MHRA in fighting the illegal websites and the risk they pose to the public.

He commented: “We welcome this report and as the UK regulator of medicines and medical devices, we are focused on tackling the illegal medicines trade. The report identifies much of the good work currently being undertaken by us and other government agencies.

“Our priority is to protect public health and while the involvement of organised crime in the illegal trade of medicines is not new, our work continues to evolve to counter the growing influence of the internet and other factors. We’re exploring the report’s recommendations, a number of which are already being addressed by the provisions of the Falsified Medicines Directive which has been implemented in the UK and is coming into force in stages.

“We would reiterate our advice that people should be alert to the risks of buying medicines online from illegitimate sources – medicines supplied cannot be guaranteed to meet set standards of quality and safety – in short, you don’t know what you’re getting, where it came from or if it’s safe for you to take. If you have a specific health concern, our advice is to consult an appropriate healthcare professional, such as a doctor or pharmacist.”

Health experts predict rise in stomach bugs and STIs during the Olympics

With the London 2012 Summer Olympic Games set to begin in just over three weeks, the capital is bracing itself for thousands of people descending into the city to catch a glimpse of the action. With this is mind, the Health Protection Agency (HPA) have begun steps to ensure people stay safe from such conditions as sexually transmitted infections (STI’s) and stomach problems. The HPA is an organisation set-up by the UK government back in 2003 and they aim to reduce the dangers to health from infections, chemicals and radiation hazards as set out in the HPA Act.

The HPA spoke on Tuesday and said they were ‘Games ready’ in their attempts to control any infections and limit their impact on the event itself. They are expecting a slight increased risk of stomach bugs and chest infections and some reports suggested that the capital could be ‘flooded with prostitutes’.

Justin McCracken, chief executive of the HPA, said in a statement, “We want everyone to enjoy the Games safely and by taking practical steps like ensuring good hand hygiene, being up-to-date with routine vaccinations and practising safe sex, it will help to ensure everyone stays healthy during this worldwide spectacle.”

The core of the HPA’s actions include three systems; rapid laboratory testing, enhanced syndromic surveillance and undiagnosed serious infections illness surveillance. They aim to diagnose infections such as Salmonella in just 24 hours whereas usually it would take 48. Symptom patterns will be analysed from anybody unwell who contacts the NHS direct, goes to an NHS walk-in centre, or simply visits their own GP. In addition, doctors have been informed they must make aware any emerging infections or symptoms of any exotic diseases.

Dr Brian McCloskey the HPA Olympics lead and director for London, explained how the organisation are prepared for the Games, “In preparation for London 2012 we have put in place world class systems to monitor and respond rapidly to any outbreaks of infectious diseases or environmental hazards. These new and enhanced systems will provide the first indication of emerging infections in the community and hospitals if they are to occur. Our experts will analyse surveillance data daily to identify issues of public health significance that could have implications for the Games.”

The HPA have stressed the importance of always carrying with you any medications for existing conditions (such as asthma) and having enough of the medication to span the duration of the Games.  If you do unfortunately suffer from any stomach or bowel problems now, during the Games, or anytime after – Medical Specialists Pharmacy can help you. Visit our brand new ‘stomach and bowel’ section of the website to browse through the huge range of products we have recently added. These include Mebeverine, Buscopan IBS relief, Doxycyline and many more!

We also note that the HPA advise to practice safe sex during the games? We argue you should be doing this all the time anyway! Sexually transmitted infections have shown to be on the increase due to alarming careless behaviour in both teens and even the ‘baby boomers’.

Men should ideally always wear a condom when engaging in sexual intercourse. If you do suspect you may have chlamydia, we now offer the Clamelle chlamydia test kit from just £24.85, which can be used in the privacy of your own home to avoid an embarrassing visit to your doctor. Or, if you have been confirmed as having this or gonorrhoea, the antibiotic Azithromycin can prevent the spread of the bacteria so that your body’s natural defences can fight back and remove the infection from your system. We also have Valtrex which helps to slow the spread of the herpes virus, and many more medications such as asthma inhalers cheaper than the NHS.

Turns out you do need Viagra like a heart attack

if you’re having trouble with sex, you may have a problem Viagra won’t fix.

A study published this week in Circulation delivered the bad news.

Researchers at the Medical University of the Saarland in Germany looked at people in two hypertension drug studies who also had erectile dysfunction (ED).

Those who had ED were most likely to die of a heart attack, stroke or other heart problem — they called it a “potent predictor of all-cause death.”

In other words if you have ED, you may have advanced heart disease. You are twice as likely to die of it as someone without ED.

The two studies examined were TRANSCEND, which was testing an angiotensin-receptor blocker (ARB) on people who had trouble with angiotensin-converting-enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, and ONTARGET, which tested the two drugs in combination.

Full disclosure. I presently take a daily pill which combines an ARB with a Calcium Channel Blocker (CCB), called EXFORGE, which works well on my hypertension. (I also take a generic statin.) I don’t have ED.

The main recommendation from all this is that doctors should ask about ED when they’re doing a work-up on heart disease. So you don’t have to ask your doctor about ED anymore. They should ask you.

And if you answer yes, your doctor may start looking for other risk factors and treating you as a heart patient, not just as someone looking to have a good time.

One word of warning. The two studies the German doctors looked at were of patients who already had heart disease, which is why they were seeking ARBs and ACE inhibitors in the first place. If you’re young and healthy and your ED problem isn’t a regular thing, the solution may lie elsewhere. Like your head.

Bicycle riding and erectile dysfunction

Department of Urology, Institute of Men's Health, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.

For many years, reports in the literature have implicated bicycle riding as causing increased risk of erectile dysfunction (ED). Perineal compression during cycling has been associated with the development of sexual complications.

To review current literature on the rationale for ED from bicycle riding and outcome of bicycle riding on erectile function and to present available research on preventative measures specifically regarding bicycle riding.

A systematic comprehensive literature review. Results. There is a significant relationship between cycling-induced perineal compression leading to vascular, endothelial, and neurogenic dysfunction in men and the development of ED. Research on female bicyclists is very limited but indicates the same impairment as in male bicyclists. Preventative measures including use of a properly fitted bicycle, a riding style with a suitable seat position and an appropriate bicycle seat can help prevent impairment of erectile function.

There is a need for further research on safe bicycle and bicycle seat design and investigations that address the underlying mechanisms leading to cycling-related sexual dysfunction in both male and female bicyclists.

Survey on counterfeit drugs market

According to a survey conducted in 14 European countries, 77 million people (ie one in five Europeans) admitted to buying prescription-only medicines from unlawful sources. A majority prefer to buy prescription drugs on the internet, “without realising that between 50% and 90% of medicines sold online are counterfeit and that some contain dangerous substances, such as boric acid”. The ‘Cracking counterfeit Europe’ survey revealed that the counterfeit drug market is estimated to be worth €10.5 billion. The Germans, Italians and Spaniards are the three biggest consumers of medicines bought illegally. Weight-loss drugs, flu remedies and erectile dysfunction pills are the products sold most often. The survey, carried out between 27 October and 8 November 2009, was initiated by Pfizer, the world’s number one pharmaceutical firm and owner of one of the medicine falsified most often, Viagra.

Hollywood director too fat to fly

US director Kevin Smith (star of Dogma, Jay & slient Bob) was left embarrassed after he was asked to get of his flight from Oakland to Burbank because he was overweight.

Smith was shocked by the request, and the Clerks director claims he was told that his weight made him a safety risk.
The airline states that obese passengers must be able to lower both armrests or pay for two seats.

He said on his Twitter page: "I know I'm fat. But was [the flight captain] really justified in throwing me off a flight for which I was already seated?
"I'm way fat. But I'm not THERE just yet. But if I am, why wait till my bag is up and I'm seated WITH ARM RESTS DOWN in front of a packed plane with a bunch of folks who'd already IDed me as Silent Bob" (a character he has played in several of his films).
Smith was offered a £62 voucher as compensation, and managed to board a later flight with the airline.

jails giving Viagra to hardened criminals

London, Jan 24 (ANI): Lags freed from Belmarsh jail, south London, on home leave are being handed Viagra to make sure they perform between the sheets when they visit their loved ones.

A source at the prison said convicts serving long sentences could suffer a loss of libido when faced with the prospect of nookie after a long stint behind bars.

"On your first home leave, meeting up with the missus or girlfriend can be a bit daunting. If you have Viagra your pocket, at least you know you're going to be able to deliver," News of the World quoted a lag as saying.

However, news that the 5-pound-a-go little blue pills which boost men's sex drive are being freely dished out to serious hard men will enrage victims' families.

One prison insider said: "It's pretty rich. The system in England, Scotland and Wales is making Viagra available so prisoners can perform between the sheets when they visit their loved ones.

"Inmates nearing the end of their sentence or those held at open prisons are eligible for home release. It must be costing a fortune," the insider added.

A Ministry of Justice spokesman confirmed: "We issue Viagra after the prisoner has met with the jail's GP. A clinical decision based on the prisoner's health would be made."

Police seize thousands of fake Viagra pills in Costa Blanca swoop

The haul in Calpe is one of the biggest ever made in Spain

A National Police operation has seized more than 160,000 fake Viagra pills, one of the biggest hauls ever made in Spain. They are reported by Europa Press to have come from India and China, and were seized in the course of three property searches which took place in the town.
Officers also found 15 kilos of benzylpiperazine, a synthetic recreational drug which is known as BZP and which has effects similar to those produced by amphetamines.
Five suspects were taken into custody and will now face charges from the courts.

Should couples not sleep together?

Sounds a bit weird but yes this is what new research has suggested. According to Dr Neil Stanley, decent night's sleep is more important than cosying up with your partner. Research evidence suggests that sharing a bed is bad for sleep. One study found that if one partner moved in his or her sleep there was a 50% chance of it disturbing the other.

"If you want to live a happy and healthy life, diet and exercise are important but so is sleep," said Dr Stanley, speaking at the University of Surrey in Guildford.

Dr Stanley, who set up one of Britain's leading sleep laboratories at the University of Surrey, said poor sleep was linked to depression, heart disease, strokes, lung disorders, traffic and industrial accidents, and divorce. Yet sleep was largely ignored as an important aspect of health.He said the modern tradition of sleeping together began with the industrial revolution, when people moving to overcrowded towns and cities found themselves short of living space however before the Victorian era it was not uncommon for married couples to sleep apart.

So what do our readers think about this story?

Hair

Hair loss Facts.

Hair loss affects approximately 40% of men and 20% of women aged 50 and over. In the US there are an estimated 40 million men and 12 million women suffering from some degree of baldness. The estimated market size for hair regeneration products and treatments is over $1 billion for both men and women but only 2% of patients suffering hair loss currently seek any treatment.
Existing Treatments.
Hair loss treatments available today a few and far between, so far there is only two medicines which have been licensed for use as a Male hair loss product. 1 Propecia & 2 Regaine.
Propecia is the more successful treatment out of the two and has many papers and happy customers that have used the product who have either stop hair loss in its tracks or regained lost hair.
Regaine can be bought over the counter at most pharmacies & supermarkets and has worked on a smaller percentage to some degree.

Hair Cloning
But now a company in Manchester called Intercytex have been busy working on cloning, hair cloning that is. Already phase 1 & 2 of the hair cloning trials have been completed and are showing some promising results.
The ICX-TRC procedure
A small sample of hair follicles is taken from the patient during a simple 30 minute operation carried out under local anaesthetic at a hair or skin clinic. The clinic sends the biopsy to Intercytex’ GMP compliant manufacturing facility where the DP cells are dissociated from the rest of the follicle. These cells are cultured and expanded in proprietary media over three weeks and subsequently returned to the clinic in a sterile suspension.
sing a specialised delivery system, the DP cells are microinjected intradermally into the patient’s scalp. The treatment is performed under local anaesthetic and comprises a single procedure of superficial injections, each injection delivering a minute volume of media containing DP cells. These cells are able to stimulate the generation of new hairs when injected in close proximity to the epidermal cells which generate the hair. Following the procedure, new hair growth should become evident after approximately three months.
ICX-TRC clinical and commercial development

For the full article please visit http://www.medical-specialists.co.uk/news/index.php/2009/07/16/hair-regeneration and feel free to leave comments either on here or on our main website..

ED is easily curable

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is the inability faced by the men during the sexual activity to achieve the erection or sustain the erection for the sufficient amount of time. Around 70% of the men in the world are suffering with the erectile dysfunction. Erectile dysfunction is caused by less amount of blood supply to the penis during the erection, so the person will not be able to get the harder erection and if at all he gets the erection, it will last for a very short duration and the person will fail to have sexual intercourse. Erectile dysfunction hampers the sex life of an individual greatly. Men suffering with erectile dysfunction are not able to satisfy their partners sexually as they lose the erection in between the sexual activity.

Erectile dysfunction is supposed to be caused by some diseases like diabetes, heart disorders, kidney problems, liver disorders, bleeding problems, Peyronie’s disease, and atherosclerosis. Erectile dysfunction is also found to be caused by the daily life stress and tensions. Erectile dysfunction is main cause of loss of sexual urge in men. Sex is a very important factor in the life of man. Nobody can imagine a life without the sex. But, because of the erectile dysfunction the sex life of the men becomes unsatisfactory. Men feel ashamed of themselves because of erectile dysfunction. Men face the problem of low self-esteem and insecurity because of the erectile dysfunction. The social as well as professional life of the man is affected by the erectile dysfunction. The maximum numbers of divorces recorded in US are due to the unsatisfactory sex life. When investigated erectile dysfunction was found to be major cause of divorces. Erectile dysfunction has ruined the married life of the men because of the low sexual drive.

Men should not worry more about erectile dysfunction because more worries sometimes make them depressing and affect their performance in the bed. Men should take erectile dysfunction similarly like the any other disease that can be easily curable. Yes, because erectile dysfunction is also easily curable. The first step towards the treatment of the erectile dysfunction is to take it lightly and should not feel ashamed of it. Remember that erectile dysfunction is not the life-threatening disease. Another thing is to communicate about it and inform of this condition to your partner because women are very supportive and they don’t feel that erectile dysfunction is the end of the sex life. Men should consult to the doctor and take his advice on treating the erectile dysfunction. Once you go to the doctor, then you will understand that erectile dysfunction is easily curable.

The treatments that are available for the treating the erectile dysfunction are classified into two parts---Surgical and nonsurgical treatments. Surgical treatments that can be used to treat the erectile dysfunction are Vascular Reconstructive Surgery (Arteries in penis that are damaged are reconstructed and the flow of blood to the penis is increased), Penile implants (A cylindrical penis-like device is inserted in the penis that helps the men to get the erection, Inflatable Implants (a pump in placed in scrotum, two cylinders are placed in penis, and a reservoir is placed in the cylinders or separately below the tissues), and Semirigid or Malleable Rod Implants (two semirigid or malleable rods are inserted in the penis with the help of surgery and this provides the proper hard erection). All these surgical treatments are quite critical and can harm your penile system permanently. Thus, are not advisable and should be done only when no other treatment is able to give you the erection.

Nonsurgical treatments for the erectile dysfunction are considered to be the best solution for the erectile dysfunction. Different types of the nonsurgical treatments are Intraurethral Pellet Therapy (a suppository containing the drug, Alprostadil is inserted into the urethra, the canal through which urine and semen are excreted. This helps in getting the erection), Penile Injection Therapy (Injecting the drugs in liquid form directly into the penis that helps in getting the erection), Hormonal Therapy (levels of testosterone are increased in combination with some other treatment of erectile dysfunction to show the good results), and Drugs (Oral drugs are found to be best medication on the erectile dysfunction. Kamagra, Tadalis, and Levitra are found to be the doctor’s and customer’s choice all over the world for treating the erectile dysfunction). Oral drugs are easily available all over the world and are the cheapest solution for the erectile dysfunction. The side effects of the oral drugs are found to be very less in comparison to the other treatments. Hence with the help of the drugs, erectile dysfunction is easily curable.

Article Source: http://www.articleset.com

About the Author

Jeff Turner is the President of Praxis HR and a Seattle-based authority on high-impact human resources, organizational development and training practices that help companies increase their profits by investing in their human capital.

He is on the SBA's National Advisory Council, serves on the Board of Directors of the Seattle Society for Human Resources Management, and is a member of the Labor & Employment Law section of the Washington State Bar Association.

Contact Jeff at Info@PraxisHR.com, 206.262.8133, or visit www.PraxisHR.com.