Since 2006, at least 86 individuals have been charged with the distribution of black market HIV/AIDS medications to American pharmacies, secondary wholesale distributors and patients. In the face of this threat, patients need the tools to identify questionable medicine and to seek better prices safely.

  As we honor fathers all over the United States this Father’s Day, take a few minutes to understand the unique dangers men face from counterfeit medications. A quick glance at the National Crime Prevention Association page on counterfeit drugs will tell you that medications for high cholesterol, hypertension, antibiotics, ED, cancer, and HIV/AIDS are…

The Partnership for Safe Medicines has created a series of public service announcements to educate both patients and medical professionals about the dangers posed by fake medications. In Doctors! Protect Your Practice from Fake Drugs, PSM board member Tom Kubic of the Pharmaceutical Security Institute points out that “the physician is the last word on everything in the office, including medication purchases.”

In 2013, the G8 recognized the counterfeit medicine trade as a significant problem in their countries. Read PSM’s infographic to learn about their reporting on the issue.

The National Crime Prevention Council has released a guide about how to find a safe online pharmacy and protect yourself from products that may be contaminated, counterfeit or not approved by the FDA.

Linda Marks, Senior Litigation Counsel for the Consumer Protection Branch of the Department of Justice, moderated Interchange 2014’s panel on criminal prosecutions and the patient safety issues that result from misbranded medication. In her opening remarks, she described the work the Department of Justice has done to combat counterfeit and misbranded drugs.

Doctors, medical office managers, and others responsible for medication purchasing need to know about the FDA’s “Know Your Source” campaign. With the help of a few simple pieces of advice from the agency responsible for guaranteeing medication safety, you can make sure that the prescription drugs in your office are FDA-approved. By sticking with state-licensed wholesale medication distributors you can safeguard the health of your patients and protect your practice from liability as well.

At the 2014 Interchange, PSM was pleased to have Philip Walsky, the Acting Director of the FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations (OCI) speak about OCI’s efforts to respond to the challenge of fraudulent drug schemes.