Seizures. Severe vomiting. Dangerous drops in blood sugar. Death by abnormal blood clotting.

Those are some of the health calamities people have endured by unknowingly taking fake semaglutide, the chemical name for the uber-popular diabetes medicine Ozempic. I fear Coloradans soon could face a higher risk to suffer the same.

The Food and Drug Administration is considering approval of a plan for Colorado to import some prescription medications from Canada, a move that prioritizes cost over safety. The approach reflects some similarities to the one Florida received authorization to adopt earlier this year, but Colorado’s importation wish list includes one glaring addition:

Ozempic.

Colorado wants to seek new sources of semaglutide — just like the millions of people overwhelming the Ozempic supply as the demand for diabetes-turned-weight loss medications surges across the world. Colorado’s potential new permissions to break the domestic regulatory process and welcome foreign sources will increase the chances of transforming counterfeit Ozempic concerns into a full-fledged crisis.

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In recent months, the FDA, the World Health Organization and Ozempic’s manufacturer, Novo Nordisk, have issued warnings about problems with the legitimacy of replica medicines. The FDA said it discovered thousands of counterfeit units of Ozempic in the legitimate supply chain in December, and wasn’t sure if some remained in circulation.

Novo Nordisk, which developed the medicine with FDA approval, alerted customers the fake version reportedly contained insulin glargine — not semaglutide — and had been purchased at a retail pharmacy. The company’s chief executive, Lars Fruergaard Jorgensen, said its leaders are working with authorities in several countries to police counterfeit versions as new reports continue to emerge about potential harms.

The global shortages of these drugs have fueled rising instances of suspected counterfeits, according to the WHO, and FDA head Robert Califf said there are likely more cases of fake anti-obesity medicine sales than reported.

My anti-counterfeiting organization, the Partnership for Safe Medicines, has been following this trend closely. Through our research, we’ve identified 16 countries where fake Ozempic has circulated, including the U.S.

A couple similar drugs have entered the market, but the demand for these products still far outweighs the availability. If the FDA allows Colorado to bypass domestic regulation requirements by importing Ozempic from foreign sellers, it will add to the ways counterfeit options can infiltrate the supply beyond control.

The agency’s traditional process for reviewing, approving and regulating the production of medicines is the global gold standard and so thorough for a reason. Any issues with legitimacy and alteration can create a public health crisis and spark distrust in health care. Thanks to the FDA’s strong oversight, we don’t think twice about whether we’ll receive the medicines our doctors prescribe at the pharmacy counter, and we know experts have vetted the side effects or reactions that may follow.

Breaking this secure supply chain puts Americans at risk. Importing medicines from Canada doesn’t mean patients will receive drugs that originated in Canada. Rather, Canada imports its medicines from manufacturers and wholesalers across the globe. Funneling those imports through a new, untested pathway into the U.S. creates opportunities for counterfeiters to take advantage of gaps in the system. The harrowing stories we’ve heard of counterfeit-induced health scares will become more common as long as Colorado pursues importation and the FDA’s green light encourages other states to try the same.

Further, Canada is not interested in sending medicines to the U.S., as it is rightly focused on maintaining supply for its own citizens. Health officials in British Columbia have banned Ozempic exports to preserve limited stock for the province’s local patients.

It’s not too late to change course, though. Florida’s plan has not gone into effect because the FDA requires additional per-drug approvals, and the agency hasn’t authorized Colorado to move forward, either. There is still time to put safety first.

Rather than promoting channels that compound the counterfeit Ozempic problem, the FDA must take seriously its responsibility to spread awareness and keep patients safe. Doing otherwise risks the most consequential cost of all.

Shabbir Imber Safdar is the executive director of the Partnership for Safe Medicines and hosts the True Crime and Medicine Safety podcast.

SAN DIEGO — Walks haunt, and late-game walks haunt absolutely.

Usually.

The Rockies’ 5-4 win over the Padres on Monday night at Petco Park was the exception. They pulled off the victory despite issuing 11 walks, only the third win in franchise history when they walked 11 or more. It also happened on May 12, 1995, at Florida and on June 5, 1999, vs. Milwaukee.

Monday night, the late-game relief trio of Jake Bird (two walks), Justin Lawrence (three) and Jalen Beeks (three) combined for eight walks over the final 3 1/3 innings. The Rockies played with fire but somehow survived.

There are few things manager Bud Black hates more than walks, and he’s already seen a lot this season. Despite daily preaching by pitching coach Darryl Scott, bullpen coach Reid Cornelius and Black, the free passes keep piling up. Entering Tuesday night’s game against the Padres, Colorado had walked 161 batters for an average of 4.03 walks per nine innings. Only the Mets (4.55), Marlins (4.30) and Astros (4.08) have been worse.

With that in mind, I asked Black, somewhat facetiously, if walks can be contagious. After all, hitting is said to be infectious in a dugout. Perhaps the tendency to walk hitters spreads through the bullpen?

“I don’t know whether it goes from one guy to the next,” Black said. “But if you start walking guys as an individual, it can lead to more. I hate to say it, but it can. Last night that might have been the case. So the answer can be yes — to each individual.”

I took my theory to Lawrence. Like Black, he dismissed my nutty idea of walks spreading from pitcher to pitcher, but he said mind games definitely ramp up when a pitcher starts throwing more balls than strikes.

“Once it gets to a certain point, where you walk two guys in an inning, or you walk a guy and you throw three balls to the next guy, you start to press a little bit,” said Lawrence, whose 6.5 walks per nine are the second-highest on the team behind right-hander Tyler Kinley (6.6).

“I think what happens is that you start thinking, ‘Oh, man, I have to throw a strike right here,’ instead of just going out there and making your pitch, being an athlete and trusting your process,” Lawrence said. “What you have to do, or think, is ‘Hey, if I walk this guy, I know I can get back in the zone and get out of the jam.’ ”

When asked if the pressure of the situation matters — late game, close game, momentum shifts — Lawrence said it doesn’t, at least not for him.

“I’ve been around long enough and pitched enough innings to know that it’s me vs. the hitter, not me vs. the score or the inning,” he said. “It’s my best stuff against his best swing, regardless of the game situation. It’s a matter of executing.”

Still, Lawrence acknowledged that walks can snowball on a pitcher as they did Monday night.

“It can happen, but I think that’s what separates (relievers) in this game is handling it,” he said. “You have to believe that, no matter what, you can get the next batter. Maybe one pitch gets you a double play and gets you out of trouble.”

Lawrence is well aware of Black’s contempt for bases on balls.

“Yeah, I know he does, but it’s a long season and you’re going to have rough stretches like last night,” Lawrence said. “But we’re going to clean it up.”

They’d better. Because too many games like Monday’s game will make the Rockies’ long season feel like an eternity.

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DENVER (KKTV) – A billboard aimed at recruiting for a Wyoming sheriff’s office was posted in Denver and is generating both support and opposition.

“Work in Wyoming where breaking the law is STILL ILLEGAL & cops are funded!” The billboard reads in part.

The billboard was put in place by the Laramie County Sheriff’s Office, which is located on the south side of Wyoming and borders Colorado.

“SHERIFF KOZAK SENDS A CLEAR MESSAGE TO DENVER LAW ENFORCEMENT: JFK established May 12-18th as National Police Week to honor those cops who have paid the ultimate sacrifice and to thank those who serve their communities,” a social media post about the billboard from the Laramie County Sheriff’s Office reads. “National media reported the City of Denver, on the other hand, decided to defund the police $8 million to fund immigrant shelters and restrict the ability for cops to enforce traffic laws, such as expired plates or safety equipment violations. During Police Week, the Laramie County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) unveiled a billboard in downtown Denver to let those frustrated officers know they can “Work in Wyoming where breaking the law is still illegal and cops are funded!” Sheriff Kozak thanks his community for supporting law enforcement and welcomes those who have a desire to do their job to join LCSOwy.org”

The following statement was sent to KKTV 11 News from a spokesperson from the Media Relations Unit for the Denver Police Department:

“Denver Police salary and benefit information is detailed here, but a primary advantage for working for Denver Police versus the Laramie County Sheriff’s Office is that the top pay for the officer rank is $24,575 more annually than the top pay for a LCSO deputy sheriff, and the pay gap increases at higher ranks,” the statement reads. “Beyond base salary DPD officers have numerous opportunities to earn even more through uniformed secondary employment work (working Nuggets, Broncos and Avalanche games, and more).”

The following salary table comparing the Laramie County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) to the Denver Police Department was shared by Denver Police:

The Denver Police Department also pointed out that the Laramie County Sheriff’s Office praises Denver in its own recruiting materials. On the sheriff’s office website, it reads in part, “Adventure awaits you in the Rocky Mountains or the bustling City of Denver, each within an hour’s drive.”

The Denver Police Department also cited a recent study by WalletHub that identifies Colorado as the 4th best state to be a police officer, compared to Wyoming which ranks 24th.

According to Laramie County Sheriff Brian Kozak, the recruiting strategy of “Work in Wyoming where breaking the law is STILL ILLEGAL” has been part of a digital campaign in the Denver area for about a year. Sheriff Kozak credits the hiring of 72 people in about a year to that campaign. As of Tuesday, his sheriff’s office had 25 open positions, 17 in the jail and eight for patrol.

Sheriff Kozak says the billboard in Denver cost about $2,500 and the contract is for 30 days, but he believes donations may result in that billboard not costing the taxpayers anything. They may extend that time, but he added it was money well spent as they are receiving about 20 to 40 applications per day compared to about five or ten a month before the campaign started.

The Denver Mayor also responded to the billboard.

“The City of Denver’s adjustment to the Denver Police Department’s budget was carefully crafted with safety leaders and Mayor Johnston to ensure there would be no impact to the department’s public services,” a statement from Mayor Mike Johnston reads. “To say that Denver is ‘defunding the police’ is a willful mischaracterization of the budget reductions, which actually just delays the purchase of new furniture and shifts the funding source for one cadet class. In fact, Mayor Johnston has invested millions to add 167 new police recruits to our force in 2024, and will continue to invest in public safety to ensure every Denverite is safe in their city.”

Click here to apply to the Laramie County Sheriff’s Office.

Click here to apply to the Denver Police Department.

Watch a raw interview with Sheriff Kozak below on the topic:

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