COUNTERFEIT AND FALSIFIED MEDICINES THREATEN PUBLIC HEALTH
This is the first edition of WHPA Briefing oncombating counterfeit medical products for WHPA
IPR concerns should not cloud this global health issue
partners and their member associations. It covers
Given the heated and lengthy discussions on counterfeit and falsified medical
current developments concerning medicine safety
products that took place during the recent 63rd World Health Assembly, the World
and counterfeit medical products, including
Health Professions Alliancehas voiced its concerns that patient safety and
information about the ongoing work of the WHPA
public health are being overlooked in favour of trademark concerns. All five CEOs of
counterfeit medical products campaign and
the WHPA partner organizations, representing 26 million health professionals
worldwide, have spoken out on this issue.
developments and findings. Your contributions are
experiences in the fight against counterfeit medical
WHPA ISSUES JOINT STATEMENT ON COUNTERFEITING
The WHPA has stepped up its commitment to fight the dangers posed by counterfeit
medical products among health professionals, consumers and patients and their
national governments. In March 2010, WHPA issued a joint statement on
A NEW, PRACTICAL TOOL FOR HEALTH PROFESSIONALS
Health professionals worldwide have a new resource to assist them in the fight
against counterfeit medical products. Launched in May 2010, the
to help educate and improve the capacity of health
professionals to detect, report and prevent counterfeit medical products. Three
target audiences are catered for – health professionals, patients and public health
HEALTH PROFESSIONALS IN CENTRAL AMERICA TO TACKLE MEDICINE SAFETY
The first Be Aware, Take Action 2010 health professionals’ workshop on
counterfeiting of medical products is planned for 19 October in San José, Costa
Rica. It will bring together health professions organization representatives to share
information, experience and best practices on the counterfeit medical products
situation and to discuss how to stem the infiltration of counterfeits in the region.
RECENT ANNOUNCEMENTS
27 April 2010: European Parliament public health
committee backs new measures against illegal
sale of medicines over Internet. July 2010: Full
Focus on Counterfeit Drugs
sitting of European Parliament to vote on Falsified
In April this year Nature Medicine carried a special section ‘Focus on Counterfeit
Drugs’, with national perspectives, anti-counterfeiting activities and several articles
parliamentary reading of Falsified Medicines
highlighting the issue of counterfeit anti-malarials (Nature Medicine April 2010
Are there counterfeit medicines in Croatia?
While there have been no recorded cases of counterfeit medicines in the legal
supply chain in Croatia, medicines without marketing authorisation in Croatia, could
World Health Assembly intervention
The World Health Professions Alliance was
UAE Health Ministry demands that pharmaceutical companies to appoint
present at the 63rd World Health Assembly, held
pharmaceutical vigilance officer
in Geneva from 17-21 May 2010. On the subject
29 April 2010: The medical practices and licenses sector at the UAE Ministry of
of counterfeit medical products, FIP spoke on
Health issued a decision to demand all pharmaceuticals and medicine companies
behalf of the five WHPA member organizations
registered at the Registration and Pharmaceutical Drugs Department to appoint a
pharmaceutical vigilance officer in their organizations within six months. by Lama
professionals, have a common goal to protect the
well-being of patients in all parts of the world from
Dangers of buying prescription medicines over the Internet
poor quality, substandard and counterfeit medical
04 May 2010: Buying prescription medicines on the Internet may be easily done, but
the Irish Medicines Board (IMB) advises there are serious concerns for the safety of
International conference on counterfeits paves
persons who purchase prescription medicines in this manner. There is no way for
the way to convention aimed at protecting
the purchaser of knowing where the website is based, from where it sources the
public health
medicines, or the quality, safety or effectiveness of the medicines supplied.
16 April 2010: More than 140 participants, senior
Cameroon SFDA exposes 30 websites
officials from health, law enforcement and judicial
17 May 2010: The Cameroon State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) issued
authorities from around 40 states, international
2010 First Safety Warning Announcement Regarding Buying Medicines Online and
organisations and institutions from around the
exposed 30 websites releasing false drug information and selling counterfeit or
world came together on 15 and 16 April 2010 in
FDA warning on phony Tamiflu
implementation of the future Council of Europe
17 June 2010: The FDA warned consumers that a phony version of an antiviral drug
being sold on the Internet could spark a harmful reaction in some people. International workshop on safety medicine Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration issues counterfeit warning monitoring system ends in Accra, Ghana
21 June 2010: The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) is investigating the
12 May 2010: The first West African Health
source of the counterfeit Viagra (sildenafil) that has been supplied in Australia and
has entered the wholesale/pharmacy supply chain.
Pharmacovigilance Systems in West Africa, aimed
US announces crackdown on counterfeiting
at strengthening medicine safety monitoring
22 June 2010: The White House unveiled a strategic plan to combat counterfeiting
systems in the sub-region was held in Accra. The
and piracy through increased intellectual property enforcement efforts.
four- day workshop was organised by the World
WCO Secretary vows to fight counterfeit drugs
Health Organisation (WHO) Collaborating Centre
24 June 2010: Kunio Mikuriya, Secretary General of the World Customs
for Advocacy and Training in Pharmacovigilance,
Organization, signed a declaration demonstrating his group's commitment to crack
in collaboration with the mother organisation
(WHO) and Sweden-based Uppsala Monitoring
At the same event former French President Jacques Chirac stated,“Let’s not ever
forget that when a falsified product is bought, the consumer is the victim. No one
knowingly buys a product that could threaten his life or that of one of his loved
ones…A mother who buys fake medicine to treat malaria does not know that she is
paying for her own death or that of her sick child. It is for that woman, and for that
The World Health Professions Alliance speaks for
child, that I call for action today on the part of everyone.
more than 26 million health care professionals
Uganda NDA seizes counterfeit drugs
worldwide, assembling essential knowledge and
8 July, 2010: The Uganda National Drug Authority has recovered 54 boxes of
experience from the key health care professions in
counterfeit drugs from a clinic in Iganga town. Zaidi Mwondha, the coordinator, said
the drugs were worth UGX34m (USD 15,000).
METAKELFINE use in Tanzania suspended
13 August, 2010: The Tanzania Food and Drugs Authority (TFDA) has suspended
the importation, distribution, sale and use of Metakelfin an anti-malarial medicine
due to presence of counterfeit tablets in Tanzania market.
WHPA COUNTERFEIT MEDICAL PRODUCTS CAMPAIGN
With WHPA “Be Aware, Take Action” we provide dentists, nurses, pharmacists,
physicians and physical therapists with tools and strategies to advocate for
appropriate investments in the education and capacity building of
professionals to detect counterfeits and to safely inform colleagues and patients.Disclaimer: WHPA does not endorse and is notresponsible for content on external websites.Photos courtesy of FIP, PSI, Pfizer, Inc, and Lilly.If you prefer not to receive this newsletter, please send an email with 'unsubscribe' in the subject to
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COUNTERFEIT AND FALSIFIED MEDICINES THREATEN
US announces crackdown on counterfeiting