Track-and-Trace Not Enough to Halt Drug Counterfeiters
Despite recent legislation to establish a more secure pharmaceutical supply chain to deliver high quality, approved medicines to American patients, efforts to block the import of substandard, fraudulent, and counterfeit drugs remains an uphill fight. Criminals are expanding from “lifestyle” drugs to widely used anti-cholesterol and cancer medicines, attracted by huge profits and low risks from drug counterfeiting activities, noted Marcia Crosse, director for healthcare at the Government Accountability Office, testifying at a Feb. 27, 2014 hearing before the House Energy and Commerce, Oversight and Investigations subcommittee.
A main problem is that penalties for distributing counterfeit drugs are too low to spur prosecution and to deter illegal operators, explained Howard Sklamberg, FDA deputy commissioner for global regulatory operations and policy. FDA is working with other federal agencies to identify and take action against illegal operators, with a focus on fraudulent Internet pharmacy sites that sell low-cost “Canadian” medicines. But most counterfeiters end up facing charges of “misbranding” or importing “unapproved foreign-made drugs,” which carry minor fines and minimal jail terms.
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A main problem is that penalties for distributing counterfeit drugs are too low to spur prosecution and to deter illegal operators, explained Howard Sklamberg, FDA deputy commissioner for global regulatory operations and policy. FDA is working with other federal agencies to identify and take action against illegal operators, with a focus on fraudulent Internet pharmacy sites that sell low-cost “Canadian” medicines. But most counterfeiters end up facing charges of “misbranding” or importing “unapproved foreign-made drugs,” which carry minor fines and minimal jail terms.
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