Pharmaceutical Anti-Counterfeiting: Combating the Real Danger from Fake Drugs

Counterfeit and illegally diverted drugs are a global problem representing a serious threat to patients and to our healthcare systems. To combat fake medicines you need to understand both the problems and the solutions. This book gives you these vital perspectives. It not only provides a detailed examination of the causes and consequences of pharmaceutical counterfeiting, it also provides practical advice and tested and proven strategies to deal with this growing threat to the international drug supply. Moreover, it investigates and explains the tactics and technologies you need to protect your patients, brands, and profits.

Addressing both business and technical issues, this book enables you to understand and tackle the problem of counterfeit and illegally diverted drugs on all fronts:

• Guides you through the complex legal and compliance issues

• Explores the complexities of the drug supply chain, demonstrating why certain approaches to reducing counterfeit drugs are more likely to work than others

• Sets forth the pros and cons of technologies designed to authenticate drugs and secure packaging, to enable traceability or e-pedigree, and to protect the supply chain

• Offers an easy-to-read guide for patients to help them avoid counterfeit drugs

• Illustrates key problems and solutions using realistic examples

• Features anti-counterfeiting case studies from Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and North America

Covering pharmaceutical security from factory to patient, this book helps you better understand the issues around counterfeiting and diversion and then implement effective strategies to fight back against these pharmaceutical crimes.