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| Weekly Update | April 12, 2010 |
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PSM Delivers
Recommendations to IPEC Regarding the Joint Strategic Plan
Given the growing threat of
counterfeit drugs around the world, the Partnership for Safe Medicines (PSM)
goes to great lengths to inform and educate consumers, health care professionals
and policymakers about this multifaceted issue. Most recently, we submitted
recommendations to the office of the Intellectual Property Enforcement
Coordinator (IPEC) following its request for comments regarding the costs to the U.S.
economy resulting from intellectual property (IP) violations and the threats to
public health and safety created by the infringement-as well as recommendations
for improving the government's IP enforcement efforts. |
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How do counterfeit
medicines fit into this conversation? It's simple. Counterfeit versions of protected pharmaceuticals
defraud consumers and deny patients the therapies that can alleviate suffering.
In too many cases, we've seen counterfeit drugs cause great harm-and even
death-to those who take them.
In addition to reiterating
recommendations we've made to protect consumers from counterfeit
drugs on the Internet, we urged IPEC coordination with law enforcement, as
well as funding and authority for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
to develop programs to tighten the drug supply chain. This includes more FDA
onshore agency support and authority. Disturbingly, the U.S.
currently has 300 custom ports and the FDA only has 200 port inspectors-and
a mere 17 inspectors to cover all international mail centers.
As we said in our
recommendations, collaboration with IPEC to coordinate and implement policies
is not only wanted, but certainly needed. While the Web and social media
platforms have changed the way the pharmaceuticals industry interacts with
American consumers, it has also created new threats by way of unlicensed
pharmacies, SPAM and sellers of counterfeit and substandard drugs. It's going
to take all of us working together to mitigate this threat here at home and
abroad.
See the PSM's
full response to IPEC's call for public comments regarding the Joint
Strategic Plan. |
Top News
US: Officials Investigate Man Accused
of Selling Counterfeit Diabetes Products
Federal
prosecutors are currently investigating a Floridian man who has been accused of
selling counterfeit and potentially deadly diabetes-care products. The fakes,
counterfeit versions of legitimate products made by Johnson & Johnson
(J&J), were obtained from a Chinese supplier by Jacques Duplessis of Boynton Beach, Florida.
Duplessis then distributed the counterfeits to pharmacies within the U.S., leading
J&J to file a lawsuit against him. Duplessis said in a court document
responding to J&J's lawsuit that he was deceived by his supplier and couldn't
have reasonably known the products were counterfeit. The case shows how
manufacturers of prescription drugs as well as government authorities are stepping
up their fight against counterfeit or stolen products, which they see as a
rising public-health threat. ("US
Investigates Florida Man On Fake J&J Diabetes-Care Products," Wall
Street Journal, April 8, 2010; Story
here)
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World News
Hong Kong: Counterfeit Lifestyle Drug Sales Booming According
to a senior customs official, Counterfeit lifestyle drugs geared toward male
performance issues now account for 80 percent of all the fake drugs seized in Hong Kong. These drugs are being counterfeited in massive
quantities, contributing to a 50 percent surge in the amount of counterfeit
drugs seized in the city. The volume of counterfeits confiscated surged from
6,282 pills in 2007 to 9,311 last year. Additionally, many fake anti-depressant
and slimming drugs have been found to be bulked up with starch, flour, or other
unapproved ingredients. ("Trade in Counterfeit [Lifestyle Drugs] Booms in Hong Kong," Earth Times, April 5, 2010; Story
here) UAE:
Pharmacy Shut Down for Selling Counterfeit Drugs A pharmacy
that sold counterfeit drugs has been temporarily shut down according to the Health Authority-Abu Dhabi (HAAD). HAAD
recently announced the results of their recent inspection which also resulted
in revoking the licenses of the pharmacist and pharmacy assistant for selling
the potentially dangerous pharmaceuticals. Officials also ordered the destruction
of all the stock in another pharmacy because it was not storing its drugs
properly. The pharmacy had not been paying its electricity bills and its power
had been shut off several times, violating standards for medicine storage. ("Pharmacy
Shut Down for Fake Medicines," The National, April 4, 2010; Story
here)
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About the Partnership for Safe Medicines
The Partnership for Safe Medicines is a group of organizations and individuals that have policies, procedures, or programs to protect consumers from counterfeit or contraband medicines. For more information, please visit SafeMedicines.org.
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