In October of 1982, the nation stood by helplessly, as they heard the news that seven people in Chicago were poisoned by cyanide-filled Tylenol capsules which ultimately killed them. People were appalled that one of America’s most trusted over the counter medications could turn so deadly and could so indiscriminately murder innocent victims. The scandal made us all feel vulnerable and violated.
Since then, the government has taken measures—in some people’s opinions excessive measures—to prevent such an occurrence again. Medication and food are wrapped and sealed to such an extreme degree that sometimes we forget it’s a war on terrorism we are fighting when we get annoyed at how difficult it is to open things. Besides that, President Bush has made it illegal to import medicines from foreign countries for fear that the medicine is counterfeit. However, it also happens in this country, which brings us to a modern day problem that also involves innocent victims—counterfeit drugs. We’re not talking about street drugs where dealers can mix illegal substances that can kill, but prescription drugs which when substituted with a phony ingredient can also kill as in the case of Maxine Blount of St. Louis, Missouri.
In 2005, Maxine was diagnosed with breast cancer. She bravely went through surgery with the support of her husband Ed and her daughter Tina, one of six kids. Unfortunately, the cancer spread and she had to undergo radiation and chemotherapy. She lost her energy and will to live. The doctor recommended Procrit for side effects and to supply her with the energy she had lost. She responded beautifully, feeling up for the first time in a long time. She got injected once a week at $500 a pop which the family gladly paid.
However, the effects of the Procrit subsided. Upon examination, the nurse at the clinic where Maxine was getting injected discovered that the drug was counterfeit. Ironically, the family had done everything the government advised in order to avoid this scenario—they did not order the medicine from Canada, and they did not order it over the Internet. Investigations revealed that middle-men between the drug wholesalers and distributors in Texas, Arizona, Tennessee, Florida, and New York intercepted the batch and slipped in the counterfeit medicine.
Maxine died a few months later. It is important to learn from this story in order to make your doctor aware that if a drug is not working, it might not be the drug per se, but a counterfeit version of the drug. This problem is spread around the world. Perhaps contacting your local congressperson to enact stricter guidelines for the FDA would help. Meanwhile, enough of caveat emptor!
