Pharmaceutical Technology Europe - September 2012 - (Page 8)

Pharmaceutical-Based Cargo Security and Theft Prevention Brad Elrod Cargo theft, for many years, was a problem that largely plagued the electronics industry, but criminals have recently shifted more attention to the far more lucrative pharmaceutical trade. In March 2010, thieves masterminded a heist of $75 million worth of cancer, psychiatric and blood-thinning drugs from a Connecticut warehouse in the US by cutting a hole in the ceiling and dismantling alarms during a severe storm that masked their activities from the local authorities. To curb future cargo theft, it is imperative that pharmaceutical companies develop solid, globally applicable conveyance security programs. A clear and present danger The Connecticut incident drew a lot of attention to the level of sophistication used by organised crime when targeting pharmaceutical cargo. Soon afterwards, FDA issued a letter expressing its concern over the growing frequency of cargo and warehouse theft, the threat these activities pose to patient safety, and the need for manufacturers and others in the supply chain to take proactive, preventative measures. More important than the loss of property, when criminals reintroduce to the supply chain stolen medication that was not stored, refrigerated or distributed as required to maintain product quality, unknowing consumers can receive tainted or ineffective drugs that could hurt or even kill them. The rise in cargo theft is largely being fuelled by the fact that penalties for stealing and distributing stolen pharmaceuticals are far less than dealing in illicit drugs, and the value of a single pharmaceutical shipment can be far greater than electronics, cigarettes, alcohol or even firearms shipments. Surprisingly, in many cases, cargo theft is reported as “vehicular theft,” a crime that carries a relatively low bond, which allows thieves to be quickly released to return to their work. Furthermore, a charge of vehicular theft also does not take into account the full value of the cargo. Until criminal penalties are increased to reflect the cargo’s 2 HIGH POTENCY 11 PAEDIATRICS 6 TWITTER NEWS 12 TABLET STICKING 8 CARGO SECURITY 13 BLOGS 10 OUTSOURCING 15 STAFF Getty Images/Photodisc

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pharmaceutical Technology Europe - September 2012

Pharmaceutical Technology Europe - September 2012
Contents
Cover Story: Strategies for High Containment An Industry Roundtable
News Bites and Trends on Twitter
Pharmaceutical-Based Cargo Security and Theft Prevention
Outsourcing: The Macro View
Regulatory Intervention in Paediatric Medicines
Tackling Tablet Sticking
Blogs: Regulatory cooperation; European pricing; Silk protein innovation; Pharma Facebook game

Pharmaceutical Technology Europe - September 2012