Anti-Counterfeiting
Proliferation of counterfeit and diverted medicines has developed into a global problem and poses a serious threat to patient safety.
What Is a Counterfeit?
According to the World Health Organization ("WHO"), "A counterfeit medicine is one which is deliberately and fraudulently mislabeled with respect to identity and/or source. Counterfeiting can apply to both branded and generic products, and counterfeit products may include products with correct ingredients or wrong ingredients, with insufficient quantity of active ingredient or with fake packaging."i In China, according to the Drug Administration Law, any of the following circumstances shall be deemed as fake drugs:
(1) the ingredients in the drugs are not compliant with the ingredients stipulated in the national drug standards;
(2) passing off non-drugs as drugs or passing off different types of drugs as certain types of drugs;
(3) deteriorated drugs; or
(4) the indications stated for the drugs exceed the stipulated scope.
Safety
Counterfeit medicines can pose serious and sometimes life-threatening health risks to patients. The WHO notes that counterfeit medicines are not equivalent in quality, safety, and efficacy to genuine medicines and often do not contain any, or the correct amount of, active ingredient, and also may contain impurities.ii Additionally, counterfeit medicines may be produced in unsafe manufacturing conditionsiii and travel through insecure supply chains. Nor are counterfeits inspected by government regulators charged with the wellbeing of patients and product safety.iv
Gilead's Position
At Gilead we are inspired by the opportunity to address unmet medical needs for patients living with life-threatening diseases around the world. The nature of Gilead's products makes ensuring authenticity and safety of our medicines fundamentally important.
Gilead's Anti-Counterfeiting Team consists of brand protection, legal, security, supply chain, quality, and packaging professionals who collaborate to address the threat to patient safety associated with counterfeiting and diversion of Gilead medicines. Gilead's Anti-Counterfeiting Team uses measures to detect, stop, deter, and report illicit sales of counterfeit medicines.
Safe Purchasing Tips
Always meet with your doctor to determine which medicine is right for you and use only the medicine prescribed. Gilead recommends that you always fill your prescriptions at a reputable pharmacy.
Before taking a medicine, always inspect packaging and contents for damage, alterations, or differences from other prescriptions for the same medicines. Key signs a medicine may be counterfeit include different active ingredients or dosage amounts, manipulated expiration dates, spelling errors, poor print quality, and broken seals/packages.
If you are unsure of the authenticity of a medicine, ask your healthcare professional before taking the medicine. If you suspect a medicine to be counterfeit, report the medicine to your doctor and pharmacy.
Resources
i World Health Organization, First International Meeting on Spurious/Falsely-Labeled/Falsified/Counterfeit Medicines. 1992.
ii World Health Organization, Counterfeit Drugs: Guidelines for the Development of Measures to Combat Counterfeit Drugs 1999.
iii World Health Organization, Counterfeit medicines, Fact Sheet No. 275. Updated Jan 2016 http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs275
iv World Hearth Organization, Counterfeit Drugs: Guidelines few the Development of Measures. to Combat Counterfeit Drugs 1999.