HDMA CONTINUES THE FIGHT AGAINST CRIMINALS WHO THREATEN PUBLIC SAFETY WITH COUNTERFEIT DRUGS

Stricter licensing, stronger regulations, tougher enforcement, harsher penalties, new technologies are all critical to the safety and security of our nation’s medicine supply

Arlington VA (May 9, 2005) – The Healthcare Distribution Management Association (HDMA), the leading association representing full-service healthcare distributors, today called on all links in the medicine supply chain to work together with government, regulators and law enforcement to ensure that our national health system is safe and secure.

For years, HDMA has been petitioning states across the U.S. to crack down on criminals who seek to obtain medical distribution licenses. HDMA has been leading the call for stricter licensing, stronger regulations, tougher penalties, best business practices and the use of new technologies to help secure the medicine supply.

“One counterfeit drug is too many and these criminals must be stopped” said John Gray, President and CEO of HDMA. “We represent legitimate businesses. We have zero tolerance for these who counterfeit, and they should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. However, it is important to know that there is a clear difference between the legitimate business of distribution and these criminals who thrive on figuring out ways to attack our healthcare supply chain.”


States currently have a patchwork of requirements that allow counterfeiters to “shop” the states looking for the one that has the least stringent requirements. HDMA urges state regulators to establish consistent, uniform licensing requirements essential to the safety of the entire supply chain.

In addition to rigorous, uniform licensing standards, HDMA believes pedigree requirements should be strengthened with electronic track and trace technology solutions such as EPC/RFID. Such technologies serialize drug products at the item level, and track product movement electronically, making it far easier to spot and quarantine suspicious products in the prescription drug supply well before they reach consumers.

Manufacturers, distributors and pharmacies should adopt security best practices that put patient safety first. The HDMA Board of Directors in November 2003 approved Recommended Guidelines for Pharmaceutical Distribution System Integrity. These Guidelines recommend collecting information for potential business partners that would assure legitimacy. The recommendations are very stringent, demonstrating HDMA distributor member ongoing commitment to preventing the market entry of counterfeit drugs.

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