PSM Announces 2012 Guardian Award Winner
United
Kingdom’s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) Honored for Excellence, Achievement in Fighting
Counterfeit Drug Sellers
Washington, D.C. (September 27, 2012) – The Partnership for Safe Medicines
(PSM) today announced the recipient of the Guardian Award, given annually to
the individual or organization who has demonstrated outstanding leadership in
the fight to stop counterfeit medicines.
United
Kingdom’s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) Honored for Excellence, Achievement in Fighting
Counterfeit Drug Sellers
Washington, D.C. (September 27, 2012) – The Partnership for Safe Medicines
(PSM) today announced the recipient of the Guardian Award, given annually to
the individual or organization who has demonstrated outstanding leadership in
the fight to stop counterfeit medicines.
The
2012 Guardian Award goes to the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory
Agency (MHRA), the United Kingdom’s regulatory body for medicines and medical
devices.
At
a ceremony held in Washington, D.C. on the eve of PSM’s Interchange conference,
PSM President Dr. Marvin Shepherd said, “In recognition of MHRA’s tireless work
to protect patients from the dangers of illegal drug sellers, the Partnership
for Safe Medicines is extremely pleased to present MHRA with this year’s
Guardian Award. A global problem demands a global solution, and MHRA stands at
the forefront of both enforcement and education. We are proud to stand shoulder
to shoulder with MHRA in the fight against counterfeit medicines, and look
forward to continuing our partnership into the future.”
MHRA
Director of Inspection, Enforcement and Standards Gerald Heddell, receiving the
award on behalf of MHRA said, “This is an excellent achievement for the MHRA
and we are very pleased that our focus on tackling counterfeit medicines to
help protect the public has been recognised. The MHRA takes its public
health protection role very seriously and investigates all reports
where there is a suspicion that medicines legislation is being
breached. In the last five years, the MHRA has seized £34 million of medicines
that were being supplied illegally in the UK, all of which may have presented a
risk to the public.”