A Step in the Right Direction
This month, Florida lawmakers unanimously passed legislation increasing penalties for counterfeiting activities, especially those that endanger human lives. While a noteworthy effort, this law reminds me of the old saying, “new, bigger hammers are great—but you still need the carpenters.”
The reason I say this is because Florida’s Anti-Counterfeiting Act does not include resources to hire inspectors, investigators and prosecutors to go after criminals with its stronger anti-counterfeiting provisions.
Transnational criminal organizations are successfully ignoring regulations and violating laws designed to insure the integrity of the many life-saving medicines widely available here in the United States. Unfortunately, the U.S. market will continue to be a tempting target for counterfeiters. If we truly want to stem the illegal trade of fake drugs, let’s make sure there are enough drug regulatory authorities and law enforcement officers to use those new tools.
In the meantime, keep visiting SafeMedicines.org to learn how we can work together to protect the safety of our prescription medicines.