FDA launches BeSafeRx, a national campaign to make online pharmacy shopping safer, warning consumers that 97% of pharmacies online don’t adhere to state and federal laws.
In a report carried by the Washington Post, FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg has announced a new consumer education campaign, aimed at protecting the American consumer from counterfeit drugs.
Read MoreU.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.
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…
Read MoreGerald 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…
Read MoreAfter 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…
Read MoreModerator 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.…
Read MorePartnership 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…
Read MoreJohn 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…
Read MoreModerator Linda Johnson, Pharmaceuticals and Health Business writer for The Associated Press, introduced Damon McCoy, researcher from George Mason University. Said Johnson, "Through my work I’ve learned about the many implications that counterfeit drugs can have on the consumer. So many people rely on and trust the drug supply chain for safe and effective…
Read MoreThe opening speaker for the 2012 Interchange was Scott T. Williams, Vice President of Men’s Health Network. Men’s Health Network (MHN) is a national DC based non-profit organization, founded in 1992, whose mission is to reach men and their families where they live, work, play, and pray with health prevention messages and tools, screening programs, educational…
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