PSM Launches Free Online Toolkit to Help Doctors, Nurses Avoid and Detect Fake Drugs

Recent Counterfeit Avastin Incident Highlights Need for Further Education             

Washington, D.C. (DATE, 2012) – In the wake of the recent counterfeit Avastin incident, The Partnership for Safe Medicines (PSM) today launched two new free resource guides to help doctors and nurses protect their patients from the harm of counterfeit drugs. The LEADERs Guides for Nurses and Doctors are step by step guides to help doctors and nurses become aware of the sources of counterfeit drugs, spot warning signs in their patients, and best practices for handling a suspected counterfeit discovery.

“The counterfeit Avastin incident is yet another wake up call that everyone involved in the health care field must make it a priority to learn how to identify and avoid counterfeit medicines, and help patients understand the great risk associated with these harmful fakes,” said Bryan A. Liang, MD, PhD, JD, vice president of PSM. “PSM’s LEADERs guides for doctors and nurses are yet another tool to make it easier for these medical professionals to stay vigilant, increase their own awareness of this public health threat and protect the health of their patients.”

The LEADERs guides are brief yet informative documents that outline the 6 vital steps, which spell out the word “LEADER,” that nurses and doctors must take to protect their patients from counterfeit drugs. These are designed to make it easy for doctors and nurses to learn about this public health threat quickly, given their already busy schedules.

The LEADERs guides are available to download free of charge via the PSM website, www.safemedicines.org.  Health care professionals can also sign up to receive drug safety alerts via email anytime the FDA issues an alert. The site also contains educational resources for patients and pharmacists.