PSM China to educate consumers about the perils of counterfeit drugs
Aims to stop the flow of fake medicines before they reach patients
The Partnership for Safe Medicines (PSM), a non-profit organisation dedicated to curbing counterfeit drugs, has launched PSM China with the aim of creating a nationwide network to educate consumers and help to keep them safe from counterfeit medicines.
Recent efforts by the Chinese government to crack down on counterfeiters have begun to bear fruit, most recently in August, with the arrest of around 2,000 people suspected of manufacturing and selling counterfeit medicines and the seizure of nearly $182m in fake drugs.
PSM China aims to continue the strides made worldwide both in educating consumers on the scope of the problem and in stopping the flow of counterfeit medicines before they reach patients.
‘China’s resolve in protecting its citizens from the dangers of counterfeit drugs has yielded great results and shows tremendous potential for the future,’ said Bai Huiliang, chairman of PSM China. ‘With the help of our partners, PSM China will support the Chinese Government’s efforts to enhance drug safety and improve public health.’
‘The biopharmaceutical industry applauds the PSM China initiative as an innovative solution to protect patients and improve drug safety,’ said John Lechleiter, chairman, president, and CEO of Eli Lilly.
‘Make no mistake: pharmaceutical counterfeiting – and drug safety in general – is not China’s problem, or the task of any one country. It is a shared global public health priority, and, therefore, a domestic concern in the US, EU, China, and many other countries all over the world. And one resounding lesson is that we can all benefit by working together.’
‘The launch of PSM China sends a message to counterfeiters everywhere that the citizens of the world are getting wise to their scams and their safe havens are shrinking by the day,’ added PSM president Marvin Shepherd.
