Mile High Warnings of Counterfeit Drugs

It's happening all the time. Nearly every day, there are new reports of counterfeit drugs flooding the world's prescription drug market. Just last week, the Partnership for Safe Medicines posted a link about how counterfeit drugs are hastening drug-resistant strains of malaria. And the week before, we shared the news reports out of the United Kingdom about a raid on an Irish counterfeit drug distribution operation and the MHRA's recall due to possible counterfeit inhalers found in the U.K. supply system.

There is documented proof that counterfeit drugs are a global problem that affects consumers right here in the United States. My colleague Marv Shepherd spoke about this very topic last month with 21st Century Healthcare Forum, a program that airs on Northwest and American Airlines.

Dr. Shepherd reiterates that if you are going to purchase a medication online, it should only be purchased through an online pharmacy that bears a seal from the Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites (VIPPS), a program of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy that presents pharmacies with a accreditation only when they have complied with the licensing and inspection requirements of their state and each state to which they dispense pharmaceuticals.

The Partnership for Safe Medicines warns against the dangers of importing drugs from countries, such as Mexico, that do not enforce the same stringent regulatory procedures amongst their pharmacies as in countries such as the United States.

Counterfeit drugs are a serious patient safety problem. The Partnership for Safe Medicines is working together to protect the safety of your prescription drugs. 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.

Thomas T. Kubic is the President and CEO of the Pharmaceutical Security Institute (PSI), a non-profit association dedicated to protecting the public health by insuring the distribution of pharmaceuticals that are safe, effective, and not counterfeit drugs.