Combating counterfeit drugs an international problem
About a dozen years ago, a Nigerian member of the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) made an impassioned plea for the organization to take up the challenge of identifying and destroying the seamy world of counterfeit drugs. The call did not fall on deaf ears. Since that time activities have been carried out in many areas of the globe.
This year's FIP meeting, held in Beijing, addressed the progress in identifying and dealing with issues related to ersatz (or replacement) drug products. During a joint session of the FIP Board of Pharmaceutical Practice and the FIP Board of Pharmaceutical Sciences, representatives from the United States, the United Kingdom, China, and India presented updates on the current status of the problem.
By:Marianne Rollings, R.Ph.
8 October 2007