Drug importation a 'counterfeit issue'

A new Pharmaceutical AntiCounterfeiting Insight Report by Lew Kontnik Associates (http://www.LewKontnik.com) calls the current debate over drug importation "a counterfeit" issue. "The import issue is a surrogate for price and affordable access," said Lew Kontnik. "Our latest 50 page Insight Report makes clear that drug importation cannot begin to meet the demand for medicines here in the US, and new research from Europe shows that once professional importers enter the picture, they will take the arbitrage, so patients may not get lower prices." Mr. Kontnik, a recognized authority on pharmaceutical counterfeiting and co-author of Counterfeiting Exposed (Wiley, 2003), publishes quarterly Insight Reports summarizing and analyzing the latest developments in the field.

The new April 2004 Report examines, in detail the pros, cons and facts in the importation debate and concludes that politics are getting in the way of progress. Advocates of importation are really demanding affordable access and it would be more productive to have that debate directly. At the same time, there are increasing numbers of counterfeit medicines entering the US supply chain and importation will only exacerbate this.

The Report details recent incidents of counterfeiting and examines the various law suits filed against manufactures, distributors and retailers alike arising from these incidents. "There are now 'class action trolling' web sites seeking to enroll patients who have received fake medicines," said Kontnik. The April 2004 Report (in PDF form) is available for review by accredited press on a gratis basis (contact: Natalia at +1-720-529-1947 or email to: [email protected]).

Lew Kontnik Associates sells its reports commercially for $300. The Report contains extensive documentation and links to many of the key information resources around the world. There is no other compilation like this on the issue of Pharmaceutical AntiCounterfeiting. For further information please contact: Natalia Oganessiants, +1-720-529-1947, [email protected], or Lew Kontnik, +1-303-506-3313, [email protected], both of Lew Kontnik Associates.