Our Work

Publications

To advance knowledge and practice in medicine safety, BESAFE publishes high-quality studies on topics including educational strategies for healthcare providers, medicine safety surveillance, regulatory science, and health system interventions to improve medicine quality.

Healthcare providers’ knowledge gaps and educational needs in addressing substandard and falsified oncology drugs: a scoping review

16 January 2026 | BMJ Connections Oncology

Publication Type: Article

Substandard and falsified (SF) drugs are an increasingly widespread threat to global health. Expensive medicines that are prone to shortages, such as cancer therapies, tend to be a target of counterfeiters due to their high profit potential. There are concerns that healthcare providers (HCPs) lack knowledge of SF drug threats and how to identify and report suspicious drugs. We conducted this scoping review to map evidence on oncology HCPs’ awareness, knowledge and educational needs regarding SF oncology drugs. 

Authors: Sarah Rudolph-Naiberg, Jean Christophe Rusatira, Ayesha Khan, Eishita Pal, Henry Michtalik


Countering counterfeits: The role of nurse practitioners in the fight against substandard and falsified medicines

November 2025 | Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners

Publication Type: Editorial

Substandard and falsified medicines affect treatment outcomes, exacerbate health inequities, and undermine health care systems around the world, including in the United States. Although significant strides have been made to enhance oversight and bolster regulatory frameworks, recent evidence underscores a glaring omission: insufficient education and training of US health care providers, including nurse practitioners, on the detection, management, and prevention of the harms related to SF medicines.

Authors: Jean Christophe Rusatira, Saifuddin Ahmed


Assessing knowledge, attitudes, and practices and demand-side interventions for combating substandard and falsified medicines: a scoping review

12 Sep 2025 | Journal of Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice

Publication Type: Article

This scoping review aims to summarise the current literature on substandard and falsified medicines, focusing on their health and economic consequences, and to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of healthcare providers and the general public.

Authors: Eishita Pal, Lubna Merchant, Alain K. Koffi, Reema Mehta, Jean Christophe Rusatira, Lev Kubiak, Henry Joseph Michtalik, Patrick Caubel, Saifuddin Ahmed