Drug Topics - October 8, 2007 - (Page 32)

32 DRUG TOPICS OCTOBER 8, 2007 www.drugtopics.com Government and Law counterfeit holograms and counterfeit documentation. A study of global national counterfeit drug legislation was performed by students at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy, with Anisfeld as the project coordinator. It found that most nations treat drug counterfeiting as an inWorld trade figures tellectual property issue, see drug counterfeiting as trademark infringeindicate that as ment, and treat drug counterfeiting with much as 10% of less severity than the counterfeiting of software. No uniform definition of drug drug products in counterfeiting is available, and only 16 the global market of 50 of the world’s most populous counterfeit legislation may be counterfeit. countries have mentions drugs. Most that specifically national anticounterfeit legislation, where it exists, is at least 50 years old. What can be done now to address the issue and identify counterfeit products? New technology for analysis has been developed which can scan solid dosage forms, even in blisterpacks, and determine the makeup of the product by both qualitative and quantitative evaluation of both active components and excipients. Tony Moffat from the University of London offered an explanation of laboratory and on-site analysis currently being used for product authentication. He explained the analytic methods used with cutting-edge hand-held technology that can evaluate the contents of drug samples on site. These methods can be used for their deterrent effect on counterfeiting to improve the reliability of drug resources. As far as the consumer is concerned, Jane Nicholson, senior registration advisor for Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharmaceuticals and president of the European Industrial Pharmacists Group, explained various consumer advice and awareness campaigns in place in the United Kingdom and encouraged all participants to advocate for such programs in all areas of the world. is a clinical R.Ph. for First Health Services Corp., Richmond, Va. She is active in many pharmacy groups locally and internationally. THE AUTHOR Killer drugs Counterfeit drugs can kill. Anisfeld made his case eloquently for a needed paradigm shift in legislative initiatives related to this growing problem. http://www.drugtopics.com http://www.totalmeded.com http://www.totalmeded.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Drug Topics - October 8, 2007

Drug Topics - October 8, 2007 Latebreakers Latebreakers in Depth Letters Rx Care Community Practice JP at Large 150 Years of American Pharmacy Hospital Practice Are You Getting Pharmacy's Message Across? Self-Care Government and Law Legal Q&A The Pharmacist as First Responder in Disaster Relief Technology Update New Products Advertisers Index Statement of Ownership Classified Viewpoint

Drug Topics - October 8, 2007

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.