Panel 2: Alex Bamiagis, IPEC

Moderator Scotti Russell, from the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy, which received the Partnership for Safe Medicines Guardian Award last night, led the "Combating Drug Counterfeiting & Sales" panel.

The first speaker, Alex Bamiagis, advisor for the U.S. Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator (IPEC) Victoria Espinel while on detail from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

Bamiagis outlined ways CBP is fighting illegal pharmaceuticals.  He said that they are giving high level attention to stop illegal pharmaceuticals.  They are engaging with VPOTUS and Congress, pushing white paper recommendations and seeing congressional activity bring attention to the issue.

Additionally, new programs and strategies to fight illegal pharmaceuticals have been instituted on a systematic level.  The Centers for Excellence and Expertise to understand segment risk and increase enforcement, as well as using APEC Operation to develop the best practices and implement the Import Operations Strategic Plan developed in January 201.

Additionally, they are developing new tools to help enforcement and coordination and international outreach to warn about dangerous illegal pharmaceuticals.

Bamiagis mentioned that payment processors, American Express, Discover, MasterCard, PayPal and Visa are working together to investigate complaints and stop processing transactions for sites that distribute countfeit goods.  

Bamiagis also highlighted The Center for Safe Internet Pharmacies with members American Express, Discover, Demand Media, GoDaddy, Google, Federal Express, MasterCard, Microsoft, Neustar, Paypay,  Vis and Yahoo! cooperating to stop illegal internet sales of medicines.