Bipartisan bill introduced in USA to increase penalties for counterfeit drugs

Bipartisan, bicameral legislation was introduced in the USA last week by Senators Patrick Leahy (Democrat, Vermont), Chuck Grassley (Republican, Iowa), Michael Bennet (Democrat, Colorado), and Richard Blumenthal (Democrat, Connecticut) and US Representatives Patrick Meehan (Republican, Pennsylvania) and Linda Sanchez (Democrat, California) to increase penalties for trafficking counterfeit drugs. The legislation responds to recommendations made by the US Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator and the administration’s Counterfeit Pharmaceutical Inter-agency Working Group.

The Counterfeit Drug Penalty Enhancement Act will increase penalties for the trafficking of counterfeit drugs to reflect the severity of the crime and the harm to the public. While it is currently illegal to introduce counterfeit drugs into interstate commerce, the penalties are no different than those for the trafficking of other products, such as electronics or clothing. The Counterfeit Drug Penalty Enhancement Act will target violators that knowingly manufacture, sell or traffic counterfeit medicines to the USA.

“While the manufacture and sale of any counterfeit product is a serious crime, counterfeit medication poses a grave danger to public health that warrants a harsher punishment,” said Sen Leahy, adding: “This legislation will raise those penalties to a level that meets the severity of the offense.  Deterring this epidemic problem is a bipartisan effort.”