FDA Warns of Terrorist Drug Tampering

[Mizmoon]

WASHINGTON - "Cues from chatter" gathered around the world are raising concerns that terrorists might try to attack the domestic food and drug supply, particularly illegally imported prescription drugs, acting Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Lester M. Crawford says.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Crawford said Wednesday that he had been briefed about al-Qaida plans uncovered during recent arrests and raids, but declined further comment about any possible threats.

"While we must assume that such a threat exists generally, we have no specific information now about any al-Qaida threats to our food or drug supply," said Brian Roehrkasse, spokesman for the Homeland Security Department.

Crawford said the possibility of such an attack was the most serious of his concerns about the increase in states and municipalities trying to import drugs from Canada to save money.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=542&ncid=716&e=6&u=/ap/20040812/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/fda_crawford_interview

[SoCalDem]

1. "Terra-ists wanna poison our old folks with them cheap drugs"

That's what they "really" mean.. Anything to scare Granny into using that bogus "discount" card..:puke:

[acmavm]

2. The feds confiscate the prescriptions of 350 old folks within the last

couple of days, and now 'terrorist are gonna mess with foreign drugs'? How convenient. Especially since this was really pissing some old people off. Now they want to make it look like their hijacking of the meds was for their own good.

[Mizmoon]

3. where did you see that

was it a customs bust?

[mom cat]

10. posted yesterday on DU:

soulsick in jp (1000+ posts) Wed Aug-11-04 11:24 PM
Response to Reply #5
11. This was posted earlier today on the FED bust of Canadian drugs


bound to seniors in Minnesota. Kerry better get on board the train.



Nambe (1000+ posts) Wed Aug-11-04 04:03 PM
Original message
Minnesota seniors' drugs seized (in Fla.)



Star Tribune


U.S. customs officials in Miami have seized a prescription drug shipment from a Canadian pharmacy with about 350 orders, half intended for members of the Minnesota Senior Federation, officials said Tuesday.

The drugs were shipped about two weeks ago by CanadaRx, based in Toronto, the primary pharmacy used by the Senior Federation.

Even more remarkable than the seizure itself -- reportedly the largest U.S. interception of low-cost drugs from a Canadian mail-order pharmacy, valued at $250,000 -- were the sources. ..

Harvey Organ, an owner of CanadaRx, said his firm talked with FDA officials before opening the office in the Bahamas July 1.

"They knew what we were doing," he said. "We keep talking with those guys, and they listen and smile and then they pull something like this." ..

Wyckoff said his organization gave CanadaRx permission to begin procuring drugs from other countries, "and we're comfortable with that. We know CanadaRx, and we know the standards in the other countries are excellent."

[Mizmoon]

13. Wow, thanks for reposting

the puzzle pieces are coming together to create a picture, are they not?

[RhodaGrits]

7. Yeah - I read that and thought "yep, here's the spin on that

bust that pissed everyone off". These people are so transparent.

[TreasonousBastard]

4. Just how more of this bullshit are we going to hear?

[BlueEyedSon]

5. Yeah, only the Canadian drugs are at risk....

:freak:

[KoKo]

23. All because Governor of Vermont sued the FDA yesterday to allow

import of prescription drugs from Canada. The Bushies are SO obvious, do they think everyone is so stupid as to believe another "terraist" scare every time something doesn't go the way they want...

[Kierkegaard]

6. We have no specfic evidence, but...

we just thought of another reeeeeeaally bad scenario that should heighten the fears of the American public. See, we're trying to protect you!

[mom cat]

11. bingo!

[Triana]

8. My God, What a BLATANT attempt at scaring people...

...into not buying drugs from Canada or elsewhere to get them cheaper. Do these assholes have NO damn scruples at all.

WHO the Hell ARE the terrorists?! I think they're running the United States, myself. They're called the Bu$h Administration.

Jeeebusss

[FormerOstrich]

9. Finally, an improvement in the terror warnings...

This one is specific.....terrorist want to tamper with drugs....not just any drugs but mainily Canadian drugs..

This one offers the population a way to guard against & protect themselves....don't buy Canadian drugs....

Just one more improvement from our fine fellows at Home Land Security





/I doubt the need to actually disclose this but this is Ostrich sarcasm...very thick sarcasm....

[Media_Lies_Daily]

12. "We have no specific information" - yadda, yadda, yadda.

[BiggJawn]

20. Trying to cover Pfizer's ass?

"So be Vewwy, Vewwy Afwaid! but GO SHOPPING!...Just don't buy Canadien drugs!"

If there's problems with thr re-imported meds, COULD it possibly be that the US Pharm companies exported factory-rejects and seconds in the FIRST place?

"Oh, your Mexican Lipitor isn't working? I'll bet it's counterfeit medications made by the evil Al-Kaseltzah Group!"

[sandraj]

14. This isn't news

From the article:
"While we must assume that such a threat exists generally, we have no specific information now about any al-Qaida threats to our food or drug supply," said Brian Roehrkasse, spokesman for the Homeland Security Department..."

Also, they've been saying things like this for three years, so why a heightened alert now when there is no "credible" or "specific" information.

This administration does nothing without an ulterior motive, and the article makes me wonder if this is more about tightening control than protecting the public (i.e., quashing imports of Canadian drugs).

"FDA (news - web sites) is under mounting pressure — and faces a lawsuit filed by the state of Vermont — to soften its opposition to importing drugs from Canada, which is seen by many consumers and state and local government officials as a way to shave thousands to millions of dollars from drug bills."

[demnan]

15. This stinks rank

Do they really think we are stupid enough to believe this?

[zanana]

16. LOL!

You have to admit, sometimes these guys are good for a few laughs.

[RhodaGrits]

17. "This Terror Alert is brought to you by your friends at Pfizer" n/t

[jukes]

18. shills

for the pharmaceutical industry. fear is the only tactic they know.

prickless panicmongering pundits.

[leesa]

19. What a crock. Who won't see through THIS scam??

Their mission....protect the fat, bloated pharmaceutical corporations from the dreaded "terrorist" grandmas and grandpas.

[Danieljay]

33. the 38% of Americans who can't think for themselves will believe it.. ..

and the majority of Americans who were recently polled who believe Bush is actually a "strong" president.

[jpgray]

21. Let me guess, these are magical terrorists that only affect imported drugs

They don't affect the drugs sold in Canada to Canadians and they don't affect the drugs sold in America to Americans. Right? Do I get the prize? Do I get my Goebbels merit badge for 'correctly' identifying the Enemy?

[jdj]

35. Aren't they saying "re-importation"??

Meaning many of the drugs seniors need are made here, then sold to Canada, who sells them to citizens alot cheaper, then sent back her to gouge our seniors? That was the impression I got. In which case, the terraists are here. But we knew that already.

[ignatius 2]

22. I am sure the terrorist will only mess with the drugs imported

from Canada. The administration can kill 2 birds with one stone, so to dpeak.

[2Design]

24. they really do dream up bullsh...t.... old people want to save

on drugs...and they think they can protect them by making them pay higher prices at hom.....

now who put the poison in american drugs years ago.....an american.....

[Eurobabe]

25. that'll keep those old farts from going to Canada!!

as you said, how blatantly pathetic, ratchet up the fear factor on those trying to just get by every month.

[drfemoe]

26. HAHAHAAHAAHAA

IMPORTED drugs only.. those sneaky little AQ's. They just follow the Republican platform point by point DON'T THEY?

[iverglas]

27. I hate to repeat myself -- but *leave us out of it*

That's all. Just leave us out of it. All of you -- Kerry and his plan to have USAmericans buy their drugs from Canada, the FDA and whatever the fuck it's on about.

We are not your dealer.

And we are not some primitive pre-industrial society incapable of performing complex tasks like dispensing pharmaceuticals -- or protecting our pharmaceutical supply from "terrorism", which just doesn't seem to be a problem up here.

Leave us out of it.


I have seldom heard anything as ludicrous as a candidate for president of the US (or governor of a US state, or any of the rest of them) promising to solve a problem in his/her own country by going cross-border shopping. Well, except for whatever the fuck the FDA is on about.

Canadians enjoy lower drug prices because we negotiated them with the pharmaceutical companies. We negotiated them for *us*, not for you down there. A deal of this nature is the result of agreement between two willing parties. The parties are willing to make the deal in a particular set of circumstances. If the circumstances change, one party just might not be willing to deal.

When your local supermarket puts hamburger on sale at a low low price, it doesn't invite all the other supermarkets to come in and stock up. Its hamburger suppliers would hardly be willing to provide the hamburger cheap to one supermarket if doing so were going to undermine its sales to other supermarkets. Apply that principle to Canada and the drug companies. Why would those companies sell drugs at low prices in Canada so that they could be sold in the US and undermine their sales there??

We feel for your seniors who have to choose between food and drugs. We feel for them a lot. But they do not live in some less-developed, impoverished nation; they live in the proverbial richest country in the world. It is really not our responsibility to solve their problems at potential serious risk to ourselves.

There are also risks involved in being used as a scapegoat by the most powerful country in the world for its various other woes. There may be not a grain of truth, or even a colour or probability, in whatever the fuck the FDA is on about -- but this constant focus on Canada as the potential source of contaminated drugs, inappropriate drugs, blah blah, is not exactly flattering. And we all know how much easier it is to do unpleasant things to someone once your constituency has heard that someone vilified and demonized repeatedly.

The image of Canada in the US *does* matter to Canadians -- not as a matter of national pride, but as a matter of economic security. We already endure enough illegal and improper interference with our export trade to the US (softwood lumber, the mad cow nonsense -- thousands of people out of work, whole regions economically devastated), whether for protectionist reasons or just to punish us for not jumping when told to. We don't need any more smearing of the sort can only create the climate for further assaults on our economy.

Just leave us the hell out of it. Really. Democrats have a responsibility to the people of their own country to solve their problems, and it is cheap and cowardly to use our coat-tails as a way to avoid confronting that problem, whether it be by providing adequate income support or targeted subsidized drug programs or by standing up to the pharmaceutical companies.

The failure to do that is the real cause of nonsense like what is being spouted by the FDA; *we* have nothing to do with it. We wish you well and we wish you luck, but you're really just going to have to plant your own backyard and deal with your own weeds, and not rely on picking our veggies and blaming us for your homegrown thistles and thorns.

[Mizmoon]

28. Don't you know that if we fix this problem

that the terrorists will win? Or something like that ...

I hear you. I agree. The truth is we will do it as long as we can get away with it because it's the path of least resistance. In defense of Canada, you must pursuade your government to do what it can to put a stop to it. If US seniors are forced to pay high drug prices, they will finally agitate for real change.

I hope the Bush admin starts arresting seniors for drug importation crimes. That would get AARP to abandon the dark side.

[jdj]

36. Yo, I hear you, but we made the shit to begin with.

"Many widely used drugs made by American companies sell for far less in Europe, Canada, and Mexico. Undoubtedly you have seen news reports featuring seniors taking bus trips across the Mexican or Canadian borders to buy their needed drugs. As a physician and member of Congress, this greatly disturbs me. U.S. citizens never should be forced to leave their own country simply to obtain affordable prescription drugs."

http://www.house.gov/paul/tst/tst2000/tst100900.htm

[stickdog]

29. This is just too absurd.

Just how stupid do they think we are?

[Danieljay]

32. unfortunately...there are many who will believe it....

and fools like this are the reason Bush has a chance of getting re-elected in November.

[truthisfreedom]

30. oh, yeah, that's right... terrah-ists are going to OPEN USPS PACKAGES and

ALTER THE CONTENTS OF DRUGS COMING FROM PHARMACIES IN CANADA. right... what a totally blatant attempt at instilling fear for political purposes while trying to raise profits for the ripoff pharm companies. but bushco's supporters get all the breaks, right? use the right-wing media to control the masses... no matter if it kills them financially or makes their lives unlivable... this is COMPASSIONATE CONSERVATISM AT ITS VERY FINEST.

[Danieljay]

31. I nearly lost it when I heard this a couple days ago..

I was yelling while driving my truck down the street..."this is horse'shite' ". Anyone who believes this false fear propaganda put forth by the pharmaceutical industry and its washington cronies is a fool. Good God, whats next?

[jdj]

34. Bwahahaha!!! "particularly illegally imported drugs!!!

Watch out Canada.

These people are getting so desperate it is pathetic.

[dumpster_baby]

37. two corpo-fascist birds with one stone--just keep it up!

Pretty soon most Americans will twig to this corpo-facist regime that has been building over the last 20 years....

[arwalden]

38. Wolf! No... The Sky Is Falling. No... WOLF! No wait... The Sky Is Falling!