Most health policy people believe the answer to the scourge of fake drugs is tougher laws and ever more regulation. Certainly, the WHO's anti-counterfeiting IMPACT initiative seems to be based on this assumption
We have a new oped out this week that argues that this analysis is somewhat simplistic.
Above all, fake drugs are so easily manufactured and distributed in developing countries not because of weak regulation, but because manufacturers of legitimate products are unable to protect their brands.
In essence, it's a problem of the rule of law. Brands are exposed to counterfeiters because criminals can too easily get around weak and corrupt legal systems. Adding more laws and regulations is not gonig to change anything, if the whole legal environment doesn't work.
Check out the op-ed here.
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