Access to safe, effective, and quality medical products is essential for universal health coverage. However, substandard and falsified medical products are frequently introduced into the global supply chain, leading to adverse health effects and socioeconomic costs. These products are a persistent public health challenge that affects WHO member states worldwide. Read more…
The eleventh meeting of the Member State mechanism on substandard and falsified medical products was held in Geneva, Switzerland on 19 and 20 October 2022. The WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, opened the meeting and underscored the importance of access to safe and quality medical products as a cornerstone Read more…
The Medicine Quality Monitoring (MQM) Globe is a new interactive tool developed by the Infectious Diseases Data Observatory (IDDO) to track the quality of medical products across the world. The issue of substandard and falsified medicines is a serious concern, but surveillance of these products is limited in most parts Read more…
Illegal trade of substandard and false medicines in Europe mainly takes place online. The internet is used to sell medicines illegally and to spread false or misleading claims about the products being sold. Patients and consumers rarely check official websites to verify medical claims, making them susceptible to buying false Read more…
The lack of formal training on substandard and falsified (SF) medical products among pharmacists is a significant problem that needs to be addressed to combat the global health threat represented by SF products. A recent study conducted in Sub-Saharan Africa among 355 pharmacy students shows t hat a dedicated educational Read more…
The UNODC Assessment of Trafficking in Medical Products in the Sahel brought to light a terrible situation of substandard and falsified medicines in the area. While there are no reliable estimates of the overall quantities of medical products that are trafficked in different ways and forms in the Sahel countries, Read more…
On the occasion of the upcoming Global Fund Replenishment drive, taking place in New York city during 19-21 September, Adam Aspinall, Fight the Fakes Alliance Chair wrote an opinion piece for the Health Policy Watch: “Fighting the Scourge of Fake Medicines: Global Fund Replenishment is Moment of Truth.” In it, Read more…
A recent comment written by Oksana Zirka Pyzik (UCL Fight the Fakes academic chapter founder and lead) published by nature reviews highlights how poor-quality or fraudulent medicines are causing extensive humanitarian and economic harm, particularly in Africa. Authors claim these products are a global problem that requires a coordinated cross-border response, including enhanced Read more…
A new study conducted by Vayouly Vidhamaly, Konnie Bellingham, Paul N Newton and Céline Caillet and published in the BMJ Journals shows that substandard and falsified veterinary medicines affect animal health, agricultural production and food security and will influence antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in both animals and humans. According to the authors, Read more…
Image by the Medicine Maker Shabbir Imber Safdar, Partnership for Safe Medicines Executive Director and Fight the Fakes board member, was recently featured in the Medicine Maker online magazine. In his article “Drug Supply Chain Security Act” Shabbir discussed how the US drug supply chain is not immune to falsified medicines Read more…