Viewpoint: Counterfeit medicines and substandard medicines: Different problems requiring different solutions.

Area of Science:

• Global Health
• Pharmaceutical Policy
• International Law

Background:

• Growing concern over the global pandemic of falsified and substandard medicines.
• Initiatives to establish an international treaty addressing 'medicines crime' are underway.
• Existing efforts may prioritize criminalization over public health access.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of proposed international agreements on combating falsified medicines.
• To advocate for a public health-centered approach in international medicine regulation.
• To contrast a crime-focused treaty with a quality-and-access-focused agreement.

Main Methods:

• Policy analysis of proposed international treaties.
• Comparative assessment of regulatory strategies for medicine quality.
• Literature review on the impact of medicine accessibility and affordability on public health.

Main Results:

• A treaty focused on criminal aspects of medicines may not adequately address the root causes of falsified medicines.
• Ensuring affordable, available, and quality-assured medicines is a more effective strategy for public health protection.
• International agreements prioritizing access and quality can better combat the falsified medicines pandemic.

Conclusions:

• International agreements should prioritize ensuring access to affordable, quality-assured medicines.
• A public health-focused treaty is more likely to combat falsified and substandard medicines effectively.
• Shifting focus from 'medicines crime' to public health safeguards is crucial for global health security.