Behavioral and Educational Strategies for Avoiding Falsified Medicine Exposure (BESAFE)
BESAFE is at the forefront of the fight against substandard and falsified (SF) drugs. Through rigorous research, public health strategies and communications campaigns, we strive to equip healthcare providers, policymakers, manufacturers and consumers with the knowledge and tools required to safeguard their communities from the harms of SF drugs. This group is led by a team of public health practitioners at the Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Read the report for the 2024 Symposium on Public Health Strategies for Combating Substandard and Falsified Drugs
Held at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center in Washington, DC and hosted by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, the event brought together more than 100 global leaders, policymakers, and experts to address the critical issue of substandard and falsified drugs affecting public health worldwide.
Our work
BESAFE is forging collaborations between public health researchers, drug manufacturers, policymakers, and public health program implementers to spearhead research and practice on drug safety.
the facts
No country is immune from the threat of substandard and falsified drugs
10% of drugs in the market are likely substandard or falsified, with the majority purchased from online pharmacies (WHO). While a dire problem in lower and middle income countries, substandard and falsified drug use is becoming a growing problem high income regions, including in the United States.
SF drugs are found in every continent and almost every country. According to the 2020 Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) report, the primary countries from which SF drugs originate are likely China, Hong Kong, Singapore, and India. Read More
Globalization of counterfeit drugs through internet pharmacies
Globalization of counterfeit drugs through internet pharmacies and the risk of purchasing drugs from illegal online pharmacies Industry experts have considered…
Public health responses to counterfeit drugs
Although the adverse health impact of counterfeit and falsified medicines is catastrophic, it is difficult to measure the overall public…
Counterfeit drugs are pervasive health threats to the global population.
Counterfeit drugs adversely affect health in multiple ways. These drugs are ineffective due to insufficient or no active ingredients, and…
No Country is Immune From The Threat of Counterfeit Drugs.
No country is immune; counterfeit drugs were found in every continent and almost every country, from Australia to Guinea-Bissau and…
Significance
Note that at the Seventieth World Health Assembly in 2017, the WHO adopted the term “Substandard and Falsified (SF) medical…
How to report counterfeit medicines?
Reporting counterfeit medicines is important to protect public health and prevent the spread of harmful and ineffective products. Here’s how…
Resources for Consumers and Practitioners
Up to two billion people around the world lack access to necessary medicines, vaccines, medical devices including in vitro diagnostics, and other health products, which creates a vacuum that is too often filled by substandard and falsified products. This problem is growing as global supply chains become more complex, meaning products manufactured in one country may be packaged in a second country and distributed across borders to be marketed or sold to consumers in a third. More resources here
Public health responses to counterfeit drugs
Although the adverse health impact of counterfeit and falsified medicines is catastrophic, it is difficult to measure the overall public health burden, the number of deaths and cases of complications, and economic loss due to counterfeit and illegal drugs. Read More
News and Updates
Fake Drugs, Real Dangers (2024)
As counterfeit medications proliferate, researchers work to alert doctors and patients to the risks.
Symposium Executive Summary (2024)
A first of its kind Symposium on public health strategies for combating counterfeit drugs.
Symposium Report (2024)
The symposium, part of the BESAFE project, is supported with funding from Pfizer Inc.