By Bunmi Yekini
Two national health advocacy groups have lodged an official complaint with New York State authorities over allegations that a Queens pharmacy dispensed counterfeit HIV medication to a patient, a move they say could have devastating consequences for public health.
The Partnership for Safe Medicines and the ADAP Advocacy Association claim that City Plus Care Pharmacy Inc., operating as Heal The World Pharmacy, sold counterfeit bottles of the HIV treatment Biktarvy. According to the complaint, backed by documentation from a civil lawsuit, the counterfeit drugs came in professional-grade packaging, raising concerns that the problem could extend beyond a single patient.
“If these allegations are substantiated, this is not just a one-off mistake – it’s a breakdown in the drug supply chain that puts many lives at risk,” said Shabbir Safdar, Executive Director of the Partnership for Safe Medicines. “Dispensers must verify the legitimacy of their suppliers and products. The Drug Supply Chain Security Act exists to prevent exactly this type of breach. Every link in the chain matters.”
HIV medication, when taken as prescribed, can suppress the virus to undetectable levels, making it untransmittable. Counterfeit drugs, however, could fail to control the virus, allow it to spread, and contribute to dangerous drug resistance.
“Counterfeit HIV medications are a terrifying betrayal of trust for the HIV community,” said Brandon M. Macsata, CEO of the ADAP Advocacy Association. “For people living with HIV, the difference between authentic and counterfeit medicine is the difference between viral suppression and life-threatening complications. Counterfeit treatment can reverse years of viral control and put patients and partners at risk of lifelong infection.”
The complaint calls for swift action, including full inspections of the pharmacy’s storage and dispensing areas, verification of its pharmaceutical suppliers, and a review of its purchasing records. The advocates are also urging the New York State Board of Pharmacy to investigate possible violations of state and federal laws, and to refer any adverse findings to the New York Attorney General’s Office, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Drug Security, and the FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations.