IFPMA-TFDA Workshop on Couterfeit Medicines ‘Integrated Approach Against Fake Medicines’ Session4: Collaboration within and between countries On 6th February 2015 At Taipei International Convention Center Taipei, Taiwan

1. Collaboration Within and
between Countries
“Working together against
Fake Medicines”
by
Bejon Misra, Founder Director
Partner for Safe Medicines (PSM) India
Friday 6th February 2015
Taipei, Taiwan

2. Mission
• A public health group committed to the safety
of prescription drugs and protecting
consumers against spurious and not-of-
standards or otherwise unsafe medicines
Vision
• Just One Unsafe Medicine Threatens Patient
Safety… we all must work together to educate
and to help protect patients in India and
around the globe
PSM India

3. Overarching Objectives
•To adopt modern technology to empower and enable
Indian consumers to access safe medicines as a patient’s
right to safety and informed choice
•To integrate spurious with not-of-standards and unsafe
medicines as per the existing laws in India
•To ensure consumer safety prevails as the priority by
engaging with all the stakeholders in an equitable manner,
with a focus on the poor and vulnerable consumers in
India

4. PSM India Board of Trustees
1. Secretary General, Indian Medical Association (IMA)
2. Former President, All India Women’s Conference (AIWC)
3. Former Chief Information Commissioner, Govt. of India, Chairman
4. Chairman of Healthy You Foundation (Consumer Organisation)
5. Supreme Court Of India Advocate
6. Former Secretary to the Govt. of India
7. Founder & Trustee, Consumer Online Foundation
8. Former Chief of Customs & Excise, Govt. of India
9. WHO Consultant
10. Pharmaceutical Regulatory Consultant
11. Medical Practitioner and Retired from Indian Defence Services
12. Former Vice President of International Pharmaceutical Federation
13. Director, Cell for Consumer Education and Advocacy
14. Founder of Private Hospital Dealing with Emergency Care, Vice Chairman
15. Chairman, THINK TANK Pharma Industry Forum
15 Members with Broad Experience

5. PSM India: The Beginning
• Concept:
– Emerged from brainstorming session organized by PSM USA based on
individual meetings with key stakeholders with interest in PSM
• Steering Committee:
– Formal board members based on organization meeting prior to launch
• Immediate Goals:
– Build strong coalition with all stakeholders engaged in the medicine
supply chain
– Make PSM patient centric with support from government
– Make PSM dedicated to patient safety, quality medicines & healthcare

6. Building PSM India
• Process:
– Consulted and re-consulted the stakeholders, especially government
and consumer/patient groups, to build PSM toward addressing key
concerns about unsafe medicines
– For board members, identified individuals and organizations with an
excellent track record on its competence and reach. Ensured
participation by entities in the medicine supply chain
• Government involvement
– Government officials always invited to Board meetings even though they
are not board members
– Joint educational and outreach activities with PSM
– Co-share resources for organizing events, workshops and training
initiatives
• Other stakeholders
– Lawyers, law enforcers, research institutions also invited as observers

7. Lessons Learned
• Put forward PSM objectives in open manner and engage
all stakeholders from the beginning to build support and
cooperation
• Create good vibrant website with regular newsletter to
push out
• Organize events on range of health care topics, but
connect to the issue of tackling counterfeit medicines in
the supply chain
• Maintain regular connection with government
• Recognize and give credit to organizations playing a
positive role in advancing the objectives of PSM

8. Advice for Similar Alliances in other Countries
• Make sure the PSM is driven by local leadership and interests
• Do not allow PSM to be viewed as an initiative of any one Cluster or
sector
• Avoid straying into issues that are not clearly related to the fight
against fake medicines and educating the public about the risks
• Do not make it look like a club of a few elite institutions or individuals
• Do not ignore your detractors or critics

9.  Aggressive but well-calibrated organization led to successful
partnerships including all levels of Indian government
 Indian pharmaceutical industry buy-in
 Public education campaign with regular Newsletter, dynamic
website and toll-free 24/7 Helpline
 As a result, Indian consumers finally have the ability to educate
themselves on the dangers of fake medicines
 Indian government is more aware of risks and more willing to
crack down on counterfeit producers
PSM India: Progress

11. PSM India: The Future
Connect and empower the consumer:
• More than 900 million consumers have mobile phones in India
• More than 1 billion consumers with access to television/radio
What and how to communicate?
• How to procure safe medicines (generic & branded) from secured
sources
• Educate consumers to report adverse reactions from medicines
• Strengthen the national pharmacovigilance system
• Create champions as whistleblowers to report unethical practices
and expose the culprits

12. PSM India to Work on Patient’s Charter
on Access to Safe Medicines
Standards
Choice
Accessibility
Non-discrimination
Transparency
Accountability
Information
Quality of service

13. Consumer Empowerment is the Key
Demo
manufacturer
authenticates
genuine pack of
XXXX. Batch No.
XXXX Thank you
for verifying your

15. THANK YOU
http://www.safemedicinesindia.in/