Tackling The Problem Of Fake Medicines

Tech, Regs And Education Key To Keeping Supply Chain -- And Patients -- Safe

 
• By David Wild

Despite a raft of measures to prevent substandard or falsified (SF) medicines from reaching individuals, these medicines proliferated with the growth of e-commerce during the COVID-19 pandemic. The problem requires multistakeholder counter efforts, and for providers and patients to change their behaviors.

Fake Meds
The Pandemic Has Led to a Boost in Online Pharmacy Shopping and Circulation of Substandard or Fake Medicine • Source: Shutterstock

In 2021, more than 100,000 Americans died of opioid overdoses, in many cases after consuming fentanyl-laced counterfeit medications. In sub-Saharan Africa, hundreds of thousands die of malaria each year because they’ve used substandard or falsified (SF) antimalarials.

From pharma companies to legislators, governmental agencies to law enforcement, stakeholders have rolled out a range of initiatives to counter...

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