Fight the Fakes campaign gains momentum as 11 new partners join global movement

Following the campaign’s six-month anniversary, Fight the Fakes has announced 11 new partners, bringing the total number of member organizations to 25. New partners, representing wholesalers, pharmacists, mobile app services, coalitions for consumer protection and generic pharmaceutical manufacturers, join the campaign to speak up and spread the word about the devastating impact of fake medicines.

These organizations add to a diverse group of standing partners, including healthcare professionals, disease-specific organizations, research-institutes, product-development partnerships, foundations, non-profits and the private sector, coordinating efforts in the fight against fake medicines.

Fake medicines put patients and the general public at risk. Though it is a challenge to measure the scope of these dangerous products, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that fake medicines can account for up to 30% of the drug supply chain in parts of Asia, Africa and Latin America. All types of medicines are subject to counterfeiting, whether life-style drugs or life-saving treatment, branded or generic. Fight the Fakes partners believe that a comprehensive strategy to combat fake medicines requires an active participation that involves all stakeholders, leveraging competencies at local, national and global levels.

The 11 new partners are the Alliance for Safe Online Pharmacies (ASOP), the Alliance for Safe Online Pharmacy in the EU (ASOP EU), the Center for Safe Internet Pharmacies (CSIP), the European Association of Pharmaceutical Wholesalers (GIRP), the Generic Pharmaceutical Association (GPhA), the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Wholesalers (IFPW), the International Pharmaceutical Students Federation (IPSF), Mobilium, the Partnership for Safe Medicines (PSM), PSM India and the Pharmaceutical Security Institute (PSI).