As Experts Converge on Washington D.C. For Counterfeit Drug Conference, 1 Million Fake Pills Seized at Swiss Border

Many feel Switzerland is a safe country when it comes to
drug importation, however even the Swiss authorities are forced to search for
counterfeit drugs.  There is in fact, no
“safe” country for importation.

Last week, 1 million fake anti-anxiety pills were seized by
Swiss customs. The counterfeit Xanax was in transit via Switzerland, and
fortunately the Swiss authorities were diligent enough to discover the
counterfeit pills as they passed through their country.  Unfortunately, many countries have severely
limited the ability of the customs service to inspect, detain and destroy
illegal medicines when these unsafe medicines that are passing through their
borders, enroute to somewhere else. The fake drugs were in fact, manufactured
in China, and had their ultimate destination listed as Egypt, reports the BBC

If even the Swiss must deal with counterfeit drug incidents
such as this, there really is no such thing as a “safe country” for drug
importation.

At Interchange 2013, we’ll be discussing the threat that drug importation poses to the secure U.S. drug supply chain. Linda Marks, Senior Litigation Counsel with the U.S. Department of Justice will be leading a panel, New Developments in International Cooperation, that will highlight the threat to the U.S. secure drug supply chain from unlicensed foreign suppliers.

Joining her in that discussion will be Scott Ballman of the World Customs Organization, Dr. Patrick Lukulay of the U. S. Pharmacopeia, and John Roth, Director of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigation.

Register today for the 2013 Interchange to learn why a “safe” country like Switzerland is forced to deal with counterfeit medication, and why “buying drugs from Canada” is not the answer in the United States.

By S. Imber