Welcome To 2021
We at PSM are happy to wave goodbye to 2020. If you’re a reporter who covers healthcare and especially public health issues, this is what we think you should be watching for in the next six months of a better 2021.
January
2020 National Drug Threat Assessment
In January, the Drug Enforcement Administration releases their National Drug Threat Assessment, which gathers declassified intelligence, public health data; government reporting and new coverage to provide a clear picture about who’s trafficking in illegal and counterfeit drugs, what techniques they’re using, and where it’s happening.
We’re watching for new details on the Mexican cartels, who have taken over the fake pill industry and infiltrated legal Mexican pharmacies.
Rogue Rx Activity Report
The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) will publish its Rogue Rx Activity Report, which will offer an update on the current exploits of fake online pharmacies. The most recent report focused on pandemic fraud, and you can read it here.
February
February marks the the second anniversary of Pill Presses: An Overlooked Threat to American Patients, a collaboration with NABP and the National Association of Drug Diversion Investigators that examines the significant role of illegal pill presses in the counterfeit pill trade.
Pill presses have continued to flood into the country and we’ll cover new developments in this area of crime.
March
In March we expect the CDC to release drug overdose data for 2020, and March is also when we expect initial reporting from INTERPOL’s Operation Pangea, an enormous coordinated global effort to disrupt online sales of fake medicines and medical devices.
April
In April, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representatives will release their annual Notorious Markets review, which tells us a lot about where counterfeiters are hiding online.
May
Congress’ temporary scheduling of Fentanyl expires in May. If Congress allows Schedule I status for fentanyl and fentanyl analogues to lapse, the change could disrupt hundreds of drug trafficking prosecutions.
June
Finally, we expect new drug importation news in June. That’s when Florida and New Mexico are required to announce the Canadian companies that have agreed to supply medicines for their state importation programs.
In the meantime, catch up on what's happening at the Federal and state levels: Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Maine, New Hampshire, New Mexico, and Vermont.
