The Real Cost Of Illegal Pharmaceuticals In The Supply Chain

Counterfeit medicines are a growing worldwide problem and governments are acting fast in order to stop the distribution of these illegal products. Cure-all medicines from the internet are the biggest culprit, promising cheap products that are in high demand, too expensive to buy from a reputable source or that are difficult to find.

Each country around the globe has its own individual laws when it comes to the supply and distribution of pharmaceuticals. In 2013, the U.S passed a bill that aimed to tighten security over pharmaceuticals travelling through the country. In the UK, the MRHA (Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency) monitors medicine and investigates potential threats to public health caused by substandard products.

Many other countries have joined the fight to stop counterfeit medicines being snuck into the supply chain, and over the next few years, are implementing a track and trace system that catches fake products before they reach our supermarkets and pharmacies.

Pharmaceuticals travel far, from the manufacturers, onto freight forwarding via ship, air or road, to the warehouse for sorting and repackaging, then back on the road to be sold to the public, so there are ample opportunities for genuine products to be replaced with fakes.

These low quality or ineffective pharmaceuticals are not only illegal, but can be dangerous to the public. Either the fake medicine has no active ingredient, rendering it useless, or it contains the wrong dose which can have a number of harmful side effects.

So how can these be monitored in our supply chain?

The automated track and trace systems will be able to follow the product right through the supply chain using barcodes and serial numbers that, if flagged up, can be investigated further.

Although purchasing and installing the new track and trace systems will cost distributors, they are fully behind the scheme as it will prevent a multitude of problems in the future.

The benefits of introducing the latest in track and trace equipment into any warehouse and distribution company include greater security and overall profitability. Legitimate pharmaceutical companies will not suffer the backlash from substandard medicines and customers can be sure that they are purchasing genuine medicines.