Fight the Fakes Alliance launches report on Identifying Critical Enablers in the Prevention, Detection, and Response to Substandard and Falsified Medicines

This report highlights the urgent need for enhanced education, collaboration, and country-based initiatives to curb the growing global crisis.  

Geneva, Switzerland July 29^th, 2024 – Fight the Fakes Alliance (FTFA) has released its white paper on Identifying Critical Enablers in the Prevention, Detection, and Response to Substandard and Falsified Medicines . The report assesses the current challenges in the global fight against SFs and offers actionable solutions to address what is one of the fastest-growing criminal enterprises in the world responsible for over one million deaths annually. 

The report highlights that even though an estimated 1 in 10 medicines are substandard and falsified among low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs), the problem is of global nature and no country is immune. SFs have been on the rise in recent
years due to medicine shortages, the opioid epidemic, influx of online
pharmacies, and the increased participation in falsified medical products’ production by criminal enterprises. In addition, the complexity of the issue and the need for funding are significant barriers to combating SFs. 

There are also major gaps in regulatory frameworks and limited law enforcement, which impacts the ability to prevent, detect, and respond to the SFs crisis globally. 

“Even though substandard and falsified medicines is still low on the agendas of high-income countries, it doesn’t mean that the issue doesn’t exist in those countries – substandard and fake medicines truly are a global problem. In addition, they undermine people’s trust in healthcare systems” says Pernette Bourdillon-Esteve,
Technical Officer, Incidents and Substandard/Falsified Medical Products, World Health Organization. 

To address the growing problem of SFs globally, solutions around education, advocacy, collaboration, and innovation are essential. These include: 

• Advocating for the expansion of education and awareness among all stakeholders, in particular consumers, healthcare providers, and policymakers, regulators, and custom officers; 

• Facilitating collaboration and coordination on all levels, leveraging existing platforms and legal instruments; 

• Advancing the development of anti-SFs initiatives at global, regional, and national levels; 

• Strengthening law enforcement, infrastructure, and capabilities to prevent SFs to enter the supply chains of medical products and to ultimately reach consumers.