What are the drivers for fighting counterfeiting for the drug industry
supply chain?  Specifically;
1. Manufacturers - They want to protect their brand, increase their
revenue and ensure the safety of their customers. What else?
2. Wholesalers and Distributors - They want to be seen as good
citizens, but it is hard to see what incentive they have to put in
place costly anti-counterfeit measures.
3. Pharmacies - They want to ensure they are selling safe drugs. What
else would encourage them to verify that their drugs are legitimate,
or does the fact they buy from a known wholesaler meet that
requirement?
4. Consumers - Are they really aware there is a problem? The risk is
minimal in the US if they buy from pharmacies.  Would consumers go to
a reliable source for drugs or are prices the biggest driver for drug
purchases?

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Clarification of Question by mikep1234-ga on 29 Jul 2006 06:46 PDT

Some more clarification... anything with statistics to back up the
reasoning will be greatly appreciated.

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Request for Question Clarification by pafalafa-ga on 29 Jul 2006 06:49 PDT

mikep1234-ga,

I'm reasonably knowledgable about this topic, having worked on
national pharmaceutical policies in the US.

Are you looking for a reasoned opinion on these questions?  Or did you
want something more formal, by way of industry white papers, or the
like?

Also, legitimate concerns about counterfeiting are intertwined with
some anti-competitive fears, and are sometimes offered as a
smokescreen to prevent imports.  To what extent are you looking at
this as a factor as well?

Let me know what you think.

pafalafa-ga

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Clarification of Question by mikep1234-ga on 29 Jul 2006 09:48 PDT

Indeed you are a wise one grasshopper.  OK, I have three white papers
(http://www.autoidlabs.org/single-view/dir/article/1/207/page.html,
http://www.securitymanagement.com/library/Counterfeit_RFID1004.pdf and
http://www.phrma.org/files/2005-05-13.1171.pdf), but I agree with your
assessment in that there is some gulf between the talked about problem
and the real concern expressed by industry and more importantly what
they are willing to spend to mitigate the problem.  There are
activites around overt and covert markings and now a move to RFID
and/or serialization tagging to 'authenticate' drugs, but how serious
is the industry?