With the advent of regulation for public safety in the 20th and 21st centuries, there have been regulations in every country to protect innocent citizens. We trust our medicines, and that trust must be maintained for the greater good – humanity’s well-being.
A sinister & silent war is underway against pharmaceutical companies. A war so evil that it is costing the lives of countless individuals. The best part (for the counterfeiters) is that it doesn’t even attract as much media reporting as it did with any physical war.
This battle is against counterfeiters and their products (i.e., counterfeit medicines) that can potentially kill you. These counterfeit medicines have proved to be more fatal than not consuming any medication. It is a matter of economics and, more importantly, lives. It is, therefore, imperative that big pharmaceutical companies take this fight on against fake.
The Prescription Drug Marketing Act (PDMA) was enacted by Congress in 1987 to protect the American public from the emerging problem of counterfeit drugs. The PDMA requires that prescription drugs be distributed only through authorized channels and that wholesalers be licensed by the states where they operate.
Pfizer, a well-known name in the pharma industry, is at the front of this fight. Pfizer has been vehemently stressing the importance of buying medicines only from licensed & trusted pharmacies.
Despite the regulation and active participation from companies like Pfizer, the situation has only taken a dive for the worse. 103 of Pfizer’s drugs have (and possibly a higher number now) been faked in over 116 countries. This astounding number shows how significant and widespread the challenge of the fake drug trade is. Regulation and good intent alone may not be enough to win this war.
Humans have been seeking pleasure for ages. The means have been varied, and some of them were accidental discoveries. Viagra is one such miracle drug that is as famous globally, if not more, than its creator – Pfizer.
The PDMA act in US did little to help contain counterfeiting. Counterfeit seizures in the European Union increased by 384% between 2005 and 2006, including counterfeit Viagra tablets.
Pfizer was in a tough spot. Not only does it risk losing sales to counterfeiters, but it also withstands damage to its brand reputation and credibility. Viagra stands to be one of the most popular selling drugs of Pfizer, thereby also being one of the most vulnerable one to counterfeiting.
Pfizer needed to do something big to stop this. An anti-counterfeit solution that can track every unit being operated under its supply chain. That way, any counterfeit version is detected & deterred.
In our next blog, we will explore the strategies adopted by Pfizer to combat the fakes of Viagra.
