Partnership for Safe Medicines Commends White House Forum on Fake Drugs

Partnership for Safe Medicines Board of Directors’ member Bryan A. Liang, MD, PhD, JD, released the following statement regarding today’s White House forum on the risks of counterfeit medicines.

“I am pleased that the White House continues to address the issue of counterfeit drugs and the serious health risk they pose to Americans – sick or well.

Washington, D.C. (December 14, 2010) – Partnership for Safe Medicines Board of Directors’ member Bryan A. Liang, MD, PhD, JD, released the following statement regarding today’s White House forum on the risks of counterfeit medicines.

“I am pleased that the White House continues to address the issue of counterfeit drugs and the serious health risk they pose to Americans – sick or well. Today’s forum helps elevate the issue further among policymakers, healthcare providers, and the public. In combination with this year’s Partnership for Safe Medicine’s Interchange event, which featured FDA Commissioner Hamburg expressing similar concerns regarding the presence of counterfeit drugs online, this administration has shown it takes these critical patient safety risks seriously.

“But we must remember that the epidemic of counterfeit drugs is not limited to America’s borders. As Tom Kubic, PSM board member and CEO of the Pharmaceutical Security Institute, emphasized during his presentation at the forum, addressing the issue here at home important, but this is a global health problem that requires a sustained coordinated global solution. That is why last week PSM launched a partner organization, PSM India, to broaden our international efforts to raise awareness of and reduce the threat of unsafe drugs. By ensuring drugs are safe around the world, we promote safety at home.

Much remains to be done to eliminate the global threat posed by counterfeit and unsafe drugs. On behalf of PSM and its partners, I applaud the White House for convening this forum, and look forward to working with them, and governments across the globe, to ensure that our drug supply chain is safe.”

About PSM:
Comprised of more than 60 non-profit organizations, the Partnership for Safe Medicines is a public health group committed to the safety of prescription medicines and protecting consumers against counterfeit, substandard or otherwise unsafe medicines. PSM can be found on Facebook , Twitter (@safemedicines), and the web at www.safemedicines.org.

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