Partnership for Safe Medicines Arms Public Against Counterfeit Drugs
Consumer protection group’s new resource helps Americans cut prescription costs without compromising drug safety
As incidents of unscrupulous producers cutting food and medical goods with foreign, even toxic, materials become increasingly apparent across the globe, the Partnership for Safe Medicines, a coalition of organizations and individuals, is leading the effort to protect consumers from counterfeit medicines.
“Each day, innocent people unknowingly risk death or serious injury to their health by taking counterfeit drugs,” said
Available on the Partnership’s Web site (www.SafeMedicines.org), “Consumer Resources” provides visitors with tips for identifying common warning signs of rogue online pharmacies, advice for recognizing when a drug is counterfeit, and counsel for making safe online drug purchases. The materials also provide practical information on how to save money on prescription drugs.
The World Health Organization estimates that approximately 10 percent of the world’s drugs are counterfeit. An important step in combating this public health threat is to educate consumers about the dangers of contraband and counterfeit drugs.
“Consumers and policymakers need to take an active role in the fight against counterfeit drugs,” said
In addition to offering free consumer resources, the Partnership developed the “Principles for Drug Safety,” a set of guiding principles for building a national strategy to strengthen the U.S. distribution system and curtail the criminal counterfeit drug trade. The principles are aimed to address the urgent need for progress in the fight against counterfeit drugs, encourage policymakers to enact stronger safety measures, and enable law enforcement to deal with problems at their source. Specifically, the Partnership’s principles address ways to protect the pharmaceutical supply chain, regulate online drug sellers, and fight counterfeit drugs.
To download copies of “Consumer Resources” and “Principles for Drug Safety,” or to learn more about why counterfeit drugs are unsafe at any cost, visit www.SafeMedicines.org.
About the Partnerships 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 contraband or counterfeit medicines. To join us in our stand against counterfeit drugs or obtain a free copy of the “Principles for Drug Safety” or “Consumer Resources,” please visit www.SafeMedicines.org.
In addition to serving as the president of the Partnership, Dr.
SOURCE Partnership for Safe Medicines