GAO Report Weighs in on Federal Efforts Against Counterfeit Products
Protecting the American public against counterfeit drugs is unarguably a daunting task. One of the ways our government combats the sale of unsafe or substandard products—like counterfeit pharmaceuticals—is through the enforcement of intellectual property (IP) laws. So, how are the five key agencies that play a role in IP enforcement faring? Well, it turns out that’s an excellent question that we can’t really answer right now.
According to a March U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) report on IP enforcement, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Justice have not taken key steps to assess their achievements even though their efforts against counterfeit drugs generally increased from 2001-2006.
The good news is that the report offers specific recommendations about how they can improve—such as collected data on their efforts to address IP crimes that affect public health and safety, systematically analyzing their IP enforcement statistics to inform management and resource allocation decisions, and establishing IP-related performance measures or targets to assess their achievements. Also, since counterfeit drugs are an increasingly high priority for the FDA, the agency will permanently assign staff at the new ICE center to help achieve the GAO’s recommendations and improve interagency enforcement efforts.
While government funding and bureaucracy catches up with the extensive needs to combat counterfeit drugs, it’s important we continue to take steps to protect ourselves from counterfeit drugs. The Partnership for Safe Medicines recommends 10 ways you can fight counterfeit drugs:
Follow the news: Learn about what's happening here in the U.S. and other parts of the world with our comprehensive news archive. SafeMedicines.org maintains lists all relevant news stories from around the globe and is great way to see the global dimensions of this problem.
Subscribe to the SafeMeds Weekly News Update: Our free weekly email provides readers with a weekly roundup of what's happening around the world regarding counterfeit drugs, as well as the latest blog entry from our experts.
Learn how to protect your family: Download our simple SAFEDRUG guide and keep your family safe.
Check the list of verified online pharmacies: WHO warns that half of rogue online drugstores sell counterfeits. Go to the VIPPS list to ensure you use reputable Internet pharmacies.
Sign up for the SafeMeds Email Alert System: As part of the FDA's Alert Network, this free service sends official alerts from the FDA and other government agencies around the world to anyone—private citizens, public groups, corporations, associations—when specific counterfeit drug incidents occur.
Test your ability to spot fakes: Can you tell the difference? Check out the FDA archive to see examples of counterfeits.
Become an expert: SafeMedicines.org has a virtual library of testimony, studies, and more.
Use safe channels if you need help paying for medicines: The Partnership for Prescription Assistance (PPA) is a clearinghouse of information that is a single point of access to more than 475 public and private patient assistance programs for anyone who cannot afford to fill their prescriptions and get medicine they need.
Join the Partnership for Safe Medicines: Help us protect consumers from counterfeit or contraband medicines.
Learn how to spot rogue websites. Do you want to help put fight counterfeiters? Become a virtual volunteer. Write us for more information.