Partnership for Safe Medicines to convene counterfeit drug conference

The Partnership for Safe Medicines (PSM), a group of nonprofit organizations and individuals dedicated to protecting consumers from counterfeit drugs, today announced that it will convene leaders from academia, government and industry in an inaugural conference to be held October 8^th at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.

"We believe it's time to bring together the best and brightest minds to share ideas, strategies and policy recommendations to ensure public and private-sector leaders are addressing this issue effectively and head on," said Scott LaGanga, executive director of PSM. "Every day, counterfeit drugs pose a significant and borderless health threat to millions of people. The more we share our best thinking on the issue, the greater our chance to extend and save lives."

The conference, which will assess who's profiting from the counterfeit drug trade, what segments of our society are being hurt by counterfeit drugs, and progress made this year, will include three panels, an exhibit space for sponsors, and a keynote speaker who will be announced closer to the event date.

Dr. Marv Shephard, Director of the Center for Pharmacoeconomic Studies at the University of Texas-Austin; Dr. Bryan Liang, Executive Director of the Institute of Health Law Studies at California Western School of Law and Co-Director of the San Diego Center for Patient Safety; and Tom Kubic, President of the Pharmaceutical Security Institute, will serve as moderators for individual panels.

As the Obama administration recently cited in its Intellectual Property Enforcement Strategy, approximately 8 percent of the bulk medicines imported into the U.S. are counterfeit, unapproved, or substandard, and 10 percent of global pharmaceutical commerce, or $21 billion, involves counterfeit drugs.

Pharmacies are also increasingly taking up the issue. Earlier this year, U.S. Internet pharmacy verification and enforcement service, LegitScript, announced plans to provide legitimacy verification based upon National Association of Boards of Pharmacy standards.

More information and registration forms for the Interchange can be found at: http://interchange.safemedicines.org. Prices are currently free for legislative staff and government agency employees, but are scheduled to increase on August 1^st.