Recommendations from IFPMA

Overview
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines a counterfeit drug as “a medicine that intentionally/fraudulently misrepresents its identity, composition, or source.” Overview
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines a counterfeit drug as “a medicine that intentionally/fraudulently misrepresents its identity, composition, or source.”

Quality counterfeit medicines do not exist and the manufacture, distribution and sale of counterfeit medicines is a crime. We are at the forefront of the fight against counterfeit medicines that endanger the lives of people in all countries who need medicines.

The Growing Threat of Counterfeit Medications
According to the Pharmaceutical Security Institute (PSI), cases of pharmaceutical crime have increased 38% since 2020.All types of drugs can be counterfeited, including brand name, generic, prescription, and over-the-counter medications. While counterfeiters often target lifestyle drugs, life-saving medications are the fastest growing category of counterfeit drugs.

IFPMA actively confronts fake drugs and campaigns to spur governments and the public to action. Our members work closely with regulatory and enforcement agencies, local authorities, and international organizations.

Fake drugs greatly increase the risk of harm to patients, who may not receive the treatment they need. This can lead to additional illness, disability, resistance to real drugs, and even death.

150 countries are affected by pharmaceutical crime, including counterfeit, misdistributed, and stolen drugs.10% of medicines distributed in low- and middle-income countries are substandard or fake. Fake drugs are found in all therapeutic categories. Fake drug analysis has found samples that contain no active ingredients or, even worse, samples that contain the wrong active ingredients, the wrong dosage, or other dangerous substances.

In addition to this, counterfeit drugs undermine patients’ trust in the health system, government agencies, health care providers, and legitimate drug manufacturers.

https://www.ifpma.org/areas-of-work/improving-health-security/falsified-medicine