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.

Nearly one in five essential medicines fail quality standards in Africa: A systematic review and meta-analysis of MNCH medicines and antimalarials

2 September 2026 | PLOS Global Public Health

Publication Type: Article

Substandard and falsified (SF) medicines pose a major threat to maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH) and malaria control in Africa, yet their true burden remains uncertain. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies published between 2010 and 2025 that chemically tested the quality of essential MNCH and antimalarial medicines collected in African countries. 

Authors: Jean Christophe Rusatira, Manuela Dorado Novoa, Jean Berchmans Uwimana, Cameron Persaud, Eishita Pal, Ayesha Khan, Henry Michtalik, Neelaveni Padayachee, Murray Lumpkin, Charles Preston, Saifuddin Ahmed


Tiered manufacturing of pharmaceuticals as a commercial determinant of health: Implications for medicine quality and equity

3 June 2026 | PLOS Global Public Health

Publication Type: Article

Tiered manufacturing, the practice of adapting different levels of pharmaceutical production standards to low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) versus high-income countries, has not been investigated as a commercial determinant of health (CDoH), defined by the World Health Organization as a private sector activity affecting public health. This paper examines this practice and its implications for medicine quality, universal health coverage, and global health equity.

Authors: Jean Christophe Rusatira, Eishita Pal, Jean Berchmans Uwimana, Ayesha Khan, Manuela Dorado Novoa, Shankar Suryanarayanan, Lauren Schoukroun-Barnes, Christopher Peterson, Henry Michtalik, Anthony Bakenga Kapeta, David Mukanga, Saifuddin Ahmed, Murray Lumpkin, Charles Preston


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