U.S. and Canadian Telemarketers Pay $415,000 to Settle FTC Charges

A group of U.S. and Canadian telemarketers will pay $415,000 to settle Federal Trade Commission charges they were selling nonexistent credit cards to U.S. consumers, the agency announced today. The defendants are banned from selling credit-related products through telemarketing and must stop their attempts to deceive consumers into giving out their personal financial information.
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A top distributor in a multilevel-marketing program, who deceptively led prospective recruits to believe they would be applying for marketing jobs and that they would make a substantial income, has been banned from the multilevel marketing industry and has paid $5,000 to settle Federal Trade Commission charges. In addition, the defendant is further prohibited from making any material misrepresentations about other business opportunities she may promote in the future.
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100 Percent Legal Claim Alleged to Be 100 Percent False

A U.S. District Court judge has halted the deceptive ads of a Web operation that claimed that membership in MP3DownloadCity.com would allow users of peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing programs to transfer copyrighted materials without violating the law. The FTC will seek a permanent bar on the deceptive claims, redress for consumers, and a requirement that the defendant notify consumers who signed up for membership that the programs he promotes to share copyrighted files may subject them to civil or criminal liability.
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The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is warning veterans not to give credit card numbers over the phone to callers claiming to update VA prescription information.

“Some unscrupulous scammers have targeted America’s veterans, especially our older veterans,” said the Honorable R. James Nicholson, Secretary of Veterans Affairs. “VA does not call veterans and ask them to disclose personal financial information over the phone.”
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A company that lured low income consumers with no insurance into spending $199 with false claims that they would receive free prescription medication has been barred from making the deceptive claims by a U.S. District Court at the request of the Federal Trade Commission. The Court also froze the defendants’ assets to preserve them for consumer redress.
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FTC Explains Requirement and Offers Tips for Choosing a Credit Counselor

Beginning October 17, 2005, consumers filing for bankruptcy will be required to go through a government-approved credit counseling program within six months before they file for bankruptcy protection.

In new information for consumers, the Federal Trade Commission suggests important questions for consumers to ask when reviewing the state-by-state list of government-approved credit counseling organizations at www.usdoj.gov/ust – including inquiries about fees, counselor training, and services offered.
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Business Opportunity Not Gold Mine as Promised

A U.S. district court judge has stopped the allegedly illegal practices of an “Internet kiosk” business opportunity and frozen the assets of the companies and their principals following Federal Trade Commission charges that their income claims were deceptive and their location- assistance offers were false. The FTC will seek an order permanently banning the defendants from selling business opportunities, barring them from violating the FTC Act and the Commission’s Franchise Rule, and providing consumer redress.
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Paxil (paroxetine HCL)
Paxil CR Controlled-Release Tablets

[Posted 09/27/2005] GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and FDA notified healthcare professionals of changes to the Pregnancy/PRECAUTIONS section of the Prescribing Information for Paxil and Paxil CR Controlled-Release Tablets to describe the results of a GSK retrospective epidemiologic study of major congenital malformations in infants born to women taking antidepressants during the first trimester of pregnancy. This study suggested an increase in the risk of overall major congenital malformations for paroxetine as compared to other antidepressants [OR 2.2; 95% confidence interval, 1.34-3.63]. Healthcare professionals are advised to carefully weigh the potential risks and benefits of using paroxetine therapy in women during pregnancy and to discuss these findings as well as treatment alternatives with their patients.

Toprol-XL (metoprolol succinate) extended release tablets
Topamax (topiramate) tablets

[Posted 09/26/2005] AstraZeneca and FDA notified healthcare professionals reports of medication dispensing or prescribing errors between Toprol-XL (metoprolol succinate) extended release tablets, indicated for the treatment of hypertension, long-term treatment of angina pectoris, and heart failure NYHA Class II or III, and Topamax (topiramate), a product of Ortho-McNeil Neurologics, Inc, indicated for the treatment of epilepsy and migraine prophylaxis. There have also been reports of medication errors involving confusion between Toprol-XL and Tegretol or Tegretol-XR (carbamazepine), products of Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, indicated for the treatment of complex partial seizures, generalized tonic-clonic seizures, and trigeminal neuralgia. These reports include instances where Toprol-XL was incorrectly administered to patients instead of Topamax, Tegretol, or Tegretol-XR, and vice versa, some of them leading to adverse events.

At the request of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), on October 12, 2005, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois issued a warrant for seizure of three types of infusion pumps manufactured by Baxter Healthcare Corporation because FDA inspections revealed that the firm has continually failed to follow medical device manufacturing requirements.
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