About PSM
Partnership for Safe Medicines Announces Groundbreaking China Initiative
Launch of PSM China Reinforces Global
Fight Against Counterfeit Drugs
Beijing and Washington, D.C. (November
28, 2012) – The
Partnership for Safe Medicines (PSM), the leading advocacy organization dedicated
to fighting the global threat posed by counterfeit drugs, today announced its
latest international collaboration with the launch of PSM China. Today’s launch
event in Beijing was attended by stakeholders from the government, advocacy community and industry, and underscores the important
role that public-private partnerships play in educating consumers and helping
to keep them safe from dangerous and deadly counterfeit medicines.
Counterfeit vs. Substandard Drugs
Both counterfeit drugs and substandard drugs can be harmful, but it is important to understand that they are different. When substandard medicines are found, authorities can work with the company to remove the substandard medicine and correct the problem. With counterfeit drugs, the company that manufactured them is unknown. Consumers have no assurance of what is actually in these products, no way to know how many there are, or where they are located.
[...]PSM2012: Startling and Compelling Speakers Focused on Patient Safety and Criminal Acts
The Partnership for Safe Medicines’ 2012 Interchange on September 28th, 2012 at the National Press Club brought together researchers, patient advocates, law enforcement and industry to discuss the damage counterfeit medications and fake online pharmacies cause to Americans. “This year’s Interchange was our boldest, most ambitious effort to date,” said PSM President Dr. Marvin D.…
[...]Leading Health Care, Law Enforcement and Government Officials Join with Industry and Patient Advocates to Assess State of Counterfeit Medicines
U.S. FDA Commissioner Hamburg Urges Physicians,
Patients to Only Purchase Medicines from Reliable Sources to
Better Protect Against Fake Drugs
Washington, D.C. (September 28, 2012) – The Partnership for Safe Medicines (PSM)
today convened leading domestic and international stakeholders in the fight
against counterfeit and substandard medicines, making a renewed commitment to
work together and implement new solutions to protect
patients worldwide. U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Margaret
Hamburg, in a keynote to the conference, highlighted new efforts her agency is
undertaking to reduce the threat and pledged the FDA’s ongoing support to
ensure a safe U.S. drug supply.
PSM2012: FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg’s Keynote Speech
Dr. Margaret Hamburg, FDA Commissioner, addressed the Interchange in her keynote speech. Hamburg said that "We need to work together to stay ahead of the many avenues that criminals are finding that are putting the health and safety of American citizen's at risk." Calling them 21st Century snake oil peddlers, Hamburg said that FDA has…
[...]PSM2012: The UK (MHRA) approach to combating Falsified Medicines
Gerald W. Heddell, Director of Inspection, Enforcement & Standards Division at the Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency in the UK, was introduced by Brian Finlay, Senior Associate and Director of Managing Accross Boundaries at The Stimson Center. Heddell began his talk with a map of recent counterfeit incidents worldwide. And then said, "Since I made this…
[...]PSM2012:Linda Marks, Senior Litigation Counsel, Consumer Protection Branch
After Nancy Kennedy, Linda Marks, Senior Litigation Counsel of the Consumer Protection Branch of the U.S. Department of Justice spoke. She also emphasized the international scale of the counterfeit drug problem. Online reselling of unapproved, illegal and dangerous medications can have too much, too little, no, or the wrong active ingredient. General intellectual property crimes…
[...]PSM2012: Special Agent Nancy Kennedy Talks On International Counterfeit Drug Crime
Moderator Brian Finlay introduced speakers for the Drawing Outside Domestic Lines, International Cooperation panel. "Counterfeit medicine is an international human security and serious compelling public health issue." Speaker Special Agent Nancy Kennedy with FDA-OCI handles drug investigations, included counterfeit medicines. Kennedy began by discussing international cooperation between MHRA, two southern European countries and the U.S.…
[...]PSM2012 – PhRMA and GPhA Heads Discuss Counterfeit Medicine
Partnership for Safe Medicines’ Executive Director Scott LaGanga introduced John Castellani, President and CEO of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America. PhRMA leads more than 600,000 of America’s leading biopharmaceutical professionals who develop new medicines to help people live longer, healthier lives. He also introduced Ralph Neas, the President and CEO of the Generic Pharmaceutical…
[...]PSM2012 – John Roth, Director of the FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations
John Roth, Director of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Office of Criminal Investigations was the luncheon speaker at the Interchange, introduced by Partnership for Safe Medicine's Executive Director Scott LaGanga. Roth spoke on the FDA’s criminal priority areas, its recent experience (and challenges) with combatting counterfeiters, and more broadly about how criminal enforcement fits in with…
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