ALEXANDRA, Va. -- The retail drug industry is recommending that aggressive steps be taken against counterfeit prescription drugs.
In response to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's call for advice to curb prescription drug counterfeiting, the National Association of Chain Drug Stores here released a report earlier this month advocating a multi-pronged attack on counterfeiters. Preventative solutions presented in the report, "Industry Points of View on Counterfeit Prevention," could use technology still under development -- radio frequency identification -- to trace drugs from manufacturers to retail pharmacy shelves.
According to Craig Fuller, president and chief executive officer, NACDS, the report represents recommendations from the NACDS Leadership Council, which includes manufacturers, wholesalers and chain drug stores. "Our report represents the thinking of the U.S. drug distribution system's leaders. The recommendations, if implemented, are the first steps in providing enhanced protections to the integrity of the prescription drug supply," Fuller said in a prepared statement.
Recommendations to combat counterfeiting include a classification system to identify drugs vulnerable to counterfeiters; anti-counterfeiting measures placed in drug packaging; strict licensing agreements with all drug distributors; and aggressive enforcement of existing importation laws.
Jim Linden, director of pharmacy, Nash Finch, Minneapolis, told SN, "The seriousness with some of these drugs involved in counterfeiting is very scary, and the NACDS is in the right position to address these issues."
