Is the Medicine in Your Medicine Cabinet Safe?

There are approximately 35,000 active online pharmacies. Of those, only 5% comply with U.S. pharmacy laws and practice standards, according to the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP). Considering that most counterfeit drugs are sold via illegitimate online marketplaces, those numbers are staggering.

In 2023 alone, the The Pharmaceutical Security Institute (PSI) reported the detection of 6,897 cases of pharmaceutical counterfeiting, illegal diversion, and theft in 142 countries. These cases involved over 2,440 different types of medicines spanning all therapeutic categories. Additionally, there were 4,894 arrests related to pharmaceutical crimes during the year, marking the highest number of arrests recorded in 22 years of tracking such data.

Addressing the threat of counterfeit drugs is “one of the urgent health challenges for the next decade,” according to the World Health Organization (WHO) . We all have a role to play, including pharmacists and other healthcare providers, who are the frontline of the U.S. healthcare system. Unfortunately, there is a troubling lack of knowledge about counterfeits among U.S. healthcare providers.

Research from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health , with support from Pfizer, released today at the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) annual meeting shows that:

• More than 80% of U.S. healthcare providers do not consider counterfeits a serious concern.
• Less than 5% of them counsel patients about counterfeit drugs.
• Only 3% have received training to identify and counsel patients about counterfeit drugs.
• Nearly 87% say they are not aware of or have no system for reporting counterfeits.

The good news is that an overwhelming majority (70%) of healthcare providers said they want training to help identify fake drugs, report suspected cases and educate patients on the warning signs. Therein lies opportunity in empowering health care providers and patients.

Pfizer and JHU have come together to help empower healthcare providers ?and the public at large to play their part on this fight. Next month, for the second year in a row, the BESAFE team at JHU will assemble academia, researchers, drug manufacturers and suppliers, policymakers, and regulatory and law enforcement agencies to discuss innovative solutions and collaborative approaches to address the rising threat of counterfeit drugs.

Pfizer is proud to be a partner to JHU in this effort. Pfizer collaborates with all relevant stakeholders to educate the public about counterfeits , detect and disrupt criminal activity, and deter fake medicines from harming individuals. Since 2004, Pfizer played a key role in preventing over 302 million counterfeit doses from reaching patients.

As fake drugs become more sophisticated and prevalent online, raising awareness about the? dangers of counterfeits is more important than ever. All of us can do something to protect ourselves, family members, and friends. Pay it forward. Warn your loved ones and report fraudulent websites should you encounter them. None of us can afford to stay on the sidelines while lives are at stake.