20 YEAR SENTENCE SOUGHT FOR FAKE STATIN CRIMINALS |降血脂"冠脂妥"偽藥案 兩主嫌遭求刑20年

In March this year, fake products of the National Health Administration's most popular anti-cholesterol statin were reported to have been widely sold to pharmacists. New Taipei City prosecutors office sought a 20-year prison sentence for the two suspects arrested in connection with this crime. Starting from next month, the FDA will also include these pharma products: blood preparations, vaccines and botulinum toxin, into the pharma tracing system. In March this year, over 57,000 people used a fake statin made by an underground factory which repackaged out of date products and resold them at a tenth of the cost, to pharmacists. The company made over NT$70 million in a year. On June 27, the New Taipei City Prosecutors Office concluded its investigation and charged four suspects. The prosecutors sought 20-year sentences for two of them. ==WU HSIU-MEI Dir-Gen., FDA== This is good news, as they should be brought to justice for their actions. The prosecutors seek a sentence of 20 years and I hope that our court will be severe on them. As well as welcoming the news of the prosecutors' decision, Wu also hoped that the judge may be even harder on them in handing down a sentence, in justice to the public and to prevent any other similar fake statins entering the market. The FDA also said that from July, three categories of pharma products: blood preparations, vaccines and botulinum toxin, would be included in the pharma tracing system, so that if there are problems in the future the downstream paths can be traced easily. ==CHIH LAN-HUI FDA Medicinal Prods. Div.== Pharma businesses are not only manufacturing representatives but also distributors. We need to manage the whole process from the start of manufacturing to sales and distribution. The FDA emphasized that in recent years, it has had worrying samples for testing from the customs, inspectors and the Ministry of Health and Welfare. Illegal pharma products were mainly capsules or powder based and many were mixed into tea or coffee bags. Recently they had found three types of clozapine, which is used to treat schizophrenia and other mental illnesses, used as a sleeping drug. It reminds the public to be careful about taking drinks from strangers as these could be dangerous. TRANSLATED BY：CLARE LEAR 健保用藥量第一名的降血脂藥、「冠脂妥」，今年3月傳出有偽藥流入市面，新北地檢署昨天將2名主嫌、求處20年徒刑，對此衛福部食藥署長、吳秀梅表示，這是大快人心的消息，希望法官多罰一點，才能討回公道，而從下個月開始，食藥署將把血液製劑、疫苗、肉毒桿菌素針劑等三類藥品，納入藥品追溯系統，日後如果出問題，就可立刻掌握下游流向。 今年3月，全台超過57萬人使用的降血脂藥「冠脂妥」，疑似遭地下工廠仿冒，將過期藥品加工改製成假藥後，再透過盤商以真藥一成價格流入市面，一年不法所得將近七千萬元，新北地檢署27號偵查終結，將4名嫌犯起訴，其中2位潘姓主嫌、求處20年有期徒刑。 ==食藥署長 吳秀梅== 我想這是大快人心的 因為不法的人 本來就應該要被繩之以法 他們被判刑了20年 我也希望我們的法院 能夠再加以裁罰 對於檢方求處重刑，衛福部食藥署長吳秀梅表示大快人心，希望法官多罰一點，才能討回公道；而為了防堵類似冠脂妥的假藥再發生，食藥署表示，從七月起、將把血液製劑、疫苗、肉毒桿菌素針劑等三類藥品，納入藥品追蹤追溯系統，藥商必須每個月定時上傳批號及流向等資訊，萬一藥品出問題，就可立刻掌握下游流向。 ==食藥署企科組副組長 遲蘭慧== 藥商不管是製造代理 其實它可能針對整套藥品 從進來製造一直到賣出去 其實在結合所謂的GDP 就是運銷的部分 我們都要去做全程的管控 食藥署強調，近年來受理海關、檢調和各衛生局送驗的檢體，不法藥物以膠囊錠劑及粉狀物為主，大多是混摻在茶包或咖啡包裡，最近還檢出3件精神疾病用藥成分「氯氮平」，具有鎮靜安眠效果，喝下很快睡著，也提醒民眾，千萬不要喝來路不明的飲料，以免受害。 記者 賴淑敏 蔣龍祥 台北報導