Combating counterfeit drugs in the digital world: Challenges and opportunities
Counterfeit medications pose a global health concern. These imitations not only lack efficacy but may also contain detrimental ingredients. While technological advancements and artificial intelligence (AI) provide hope, challenges persist.
Understanding counterfeit drugs
Counterfeit medications are drugs that are falsely represented regarding their origin or identity. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that 10.5% of the worldwide pharmaceutical market is made up of these counterfeit drugs, leading to many deaths annually. They are common across the globe, but their occurrence is notably higher in low and middle-income nations, with 9% to 41% of the medications sold being fake. In comparison, wealthier countries such as the United States encounter fewer than 1% counterfeit drugs in their markets.
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Addressing the challenges in closing the gap
The rise of counterfeit drugs, fueled by technological advancements and global connectivity, presents a multifaceted challenge.
The rise of social media platforms
The rise of social media platforms has made it easier for counterfeiters to market and distribute bogus drugs, particularly to younger audiences. In a tragic 2021 case, a young girl in Arkansas died after taking fake pills she acquired through Snapchat and Instagram. Further inquiries connected these incidents to fentanyl.
A lawsuit that followed against Snapchat disclosed that, between 2020 and 2022, over 75% of fentanyl-related deaths in the 13 to 18 age bracket were allegedly linked to the platform, where these minors connected with drug sellers. Law enforcement has noted a concerning trend where many of these deaths, especially among teenagers and young adults, resulted from counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl purchased on social media platforms.
Recreational drugs in social settings
In social settings, the allure of recreational drugs often skyrockets. However, this heightened demand occasionally paves the way for the circulation of counterfeit or adulterated substances. As parties and social gatherings become hotspots for such drug use, the challenge mounts for technology to effectively monitor and discern genuine substances from the fake. This not only poses a significant health risk for users but also underscores the need for more sophisticated tech interventions and heightened awareness campaigns to ensure safer social environments.
Advanced counterfeiting techniques
As law enforcement refines its detection techniques, counterfeiters similarly adapt and refine their methods. For example, during INTERPOL’s Operation Pangea XIV, which spanned 92 nations, a historic high of illicit online pharmacies selling counterfeit and unauthorized medical products were shut down. Reflecting the sophistication of the subterfuge, Qatari officials discovered 2,805 nerve pain pills ingeniously hidden inside baked bean tins. Alarmingly, some counterfeit drugs bear such close resemblance to their genuine counterparts that they’re nearly indistinguishable, even when they lack essential ingredients or contain dangerous additives like rat poison, mercury, arsenic, or even cement.
The anticounterfeit multifaceted strategy
While technology and AI present potential solutions to the counterfeit drug dilemma, they are not silver bullets. Addressing the complexities of street drugs, online sales, and the societal pressures that fuel their consumption requires a multifaceted strategy.
Enhanced distribution oversight
Strengthening surveillance of distribution networks and curbing unauthorized distributors can reduce counterfeit drug infiltration.
Collaboration with tech specialists or vendors
Partnering with tech experts can lead to AI solutions that authenticate drugs. Some examples include:
Ennoventure developed an invisible cryptographic code embedded in packaging for authentication via smartphones.
RxAll provides a portable drug authenticator using a nano scanner and app, delivering results in 20 seconds.
Hubstream provides an AI-powered case management solution to help the pharma industry verify the authenticity of the pharmacy and track down individuals providing counterfeit medicines.
Elevating public consciousness
It’s crucial to enlighten the public about the dangers tied to counterfeit drugs. Initiating widespread media campaigns highlighting the perils of such medications and using real-life narratives, such as fatalities due to fake drugs, can underscore the severity of the problem.
Stakeholder engagement
Collaborating with pharmaceutical firms, distributors, and healthcare professionals can present a united front against counterfeit drugs. Companies like Pfizer are already leading such initiatives, emphasizing the importance of public education. They have dedicated teams and forensic labs that employ sophisticated internet-monitoring tools to identify and combat counterfeit medicines.
Moreover, Pfizer emphasizes the critical role of education in this fight. By launching programs to raise awareness among medical professionals, they aim to ensure that patients are well-informed about the risks of counterfeit medicines and can make safe choices.
Community drug safety initiative
Encouraging community members and healthcare professionals to discuss and review drug safety can foster a safer environment.
The recent death resulting from a counterfeit drug underscores the issue’s urgency. While technology and law enforcement are vital in the fight against fake medications, the power of a united community cannot be underestimated. Through collective vigilance, open dialogue, and proactive strategies, society can safeguard itself from the scourge of counterfeit drugs.
Leveraging deep learning
Technologies rooted in deep learning, like the Single Shot Multi-box Detector (SSD) – crafted for instantaneous object detection and prediction of bounding boxes and class labels within images – can scrutinize medicine packaging visuals to ascertain their genuineness. This allows consumers to verify the authenticity of their medications.
While technological and community-driven solutions are pivotal in the fight against counterfeit drugs, collective awareness, and collaboration remain essential in ensuring public safety.
How can Hubstream help you?
Hubstream offers a data-driven case management solution designed specifically for IP/ brand protection teams. Our software has been tailored to meet the unique needs of pharmaceutical companies, law enforcement, and government agencies.
With Hubstream, you can benefit from:
A centralized data hub to organize and manage online and offline investigation data from various data formats effectively.
An AI-powered case management system to identify leads from the most critical to the least, assisting you to recognize the repeat offenders proactively.
Collecting probative evidence from across functional departments and multiple channels in one data hub for legal proceedings.
Assisting to develop data intelligence and provide insights to facilitate collaboration among IP/product integrity teams, outside law firms, the brand protection community and industry experts.
Our global customer base attests to the effectiveness of Hubstream in providing reliable brand protection case management solutions. Whether you are a private organization or a public sector entity, we are committed to helping you safeguard your brands on social media platforms.