GENEVA – June 6, 2014 – The Center for Safe Internet Pharmacies is proud to join forces with Fight the Fakes, a recent coordinated global campaign against fake medicines, consisting of an array of global partners representing wholesalers, pharmacists, mobile app services and coalitions for consumer protection as well as healthcare professionals, disease-specific organizations, research-institutes, product-development partnerships, foundations, non-profits and private sector entities.
Fake medicines put patients and the general public at risk. People exposed to fake medicines believe they are receiving a genuine treatment, but instead they are getting potentially dangerous products that could increase resistance to real treatments, and cause further illness, disability or even death. Though it is a challenge to measure the scope of these dangerous products, the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that fake medicines can account for up to 30% of the drug supply chain in parts of Asia, Africa and Latin America.
“CSIP is honored to be part of this collaborative campaign to further protect consumers and increase global awareness related to these issues”, states Marjorie Clifton, Executive Director. Fight the Fakes partners believe that a comprehensive strategy to combat fake medicines requires an active participation that involves all stakeholders, leveraging competencies at local, national and global levels.
In addition to CSIP, ten other organizations with national and international influence recently joined Fight the Fakes, including CSIP partners the Alliance for Safe Online Pharmacies (ASOP) and the Alliance for Safe Online Pharmacy in the EU (ASOP EU). Additional new partners include the Generic Pharmaceutical Association (GPhA), the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Wholesalers (IFPW), the European Association of Pharmaceutical Wholesalers (GIRP), the International Pharmaceutical Students Federation (IPSF), Mobilium, the Partnership for Safe Medicines (PSM), PSM India, and the Pharmaceutical Security Institute (PSI).
These new partners join the existing coalition of the Dutch Malaria Foundation, Fondation Chirac, the Global Pharma Health Fund (GPHF), International Council of Nurses (ICN), International Federation for Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA), International Institute of Research Against Counterfeit Medicines (IRACM), Malaria Consortium, Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV), NCD Alliance, the Roll Back Malaria Partnership (RBM), Sproxil, U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention (USP), World Heart Federation (WHF) and World Medical Association (WMA).
CSIP encourages others to visit Fight the Fakes on the web and on Twitter (@FightTheFakes) to learn more and to lend your voice to this growing global movement!
View the official Fight the Fakes press release.
This item was highlighted in CSIP’s February 2015 newsletter.