WASHINGTON — The Bush administration called on the pharmaceutical industry Wednesday to voluntarily adopt measures -- such as tiny electronic tracking devices attached to labels or boxes -- that would stem the growing threat of counterfeit prescription medications in the United States.
"We will take the necessary steps to protect all Americans from those who would exploit and harm them by selling counterfeit drugs," said Tommy G. Thompson, secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.
Mark B. McClellan, commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, said "the vast majority of drugs legally obtained in the United States are legitimate -- well over 99%." However, the government's investigations of counterfeit drug operations have increased from less than 10 in 2000 to more than 20 a year.
Last year, for example, the government issued an alert after more than 200,000 bottles of counterfeit Lipitor, a cholesterol drug, had made their way onto the market. In 2001, a Sunnyvale, Calif., pharmacist discovered that bottles of Neupogen, a growth hormone prescribed for AIDS and cancer patients, were filled only with saltwater.
The FDA report on measures to combat drug counterfeiting was compiled in consultation with drug manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers and pharmacy groups. It calls on the drug industry to implement electronic "track-and-trace" technologies by 2007, encourages state governments to adopt stronger anticounterfeiting laws and seeks stiffer criminal penalties for those convicted of making or peddling counterfeit medications.
The government also said it would work to educate consumers and healthcare professionals about what Thompson termed "this increasingly sophisticated public health threat."
The basic message is "buy your medication from a reputable source," McClellan said.
The administration's release of the FDA report was the latest in a series of high-profile actions designed to convince Americans that prescription drugs purchased in unconventional ways -- particularly those bought over the Internet or from Canada -- may not be safe. However, the administration's warnings do not appear to have dampened the public's demand for the less expensive Canadian drugs.
Democrats in Congress, joined by some Republicans, have renewed efforts to legalize such purchases, and many of the nation's governors plan to hold a "summit on prescription drug re-importation" here on Tuesday. Earlier this week, Los Angeles City Councilman Dennis P. Zine said the city could save millions of dollars if it purchased medications for municipal employees from Canada.
