@Risk

Counterfeiters continue to infiltrate the global pharmaceutical supply chain, and increasingly now thay appear to be targeting high-value drugs, such as HIV antivirals and cancer treatments, according to FiercePharmaManufacturing.

In fact, in Germany, dozens of pharmacies are currently under investigation for suspected distribution of illegal and fake drugs, including painkillers, antibiotics and cancer treatments, as well as so-called “lifestyle medicines,” such as impotency drugs and bodybuilding products. This high-profile case seems especially troubling because, among other things, the pharmacists are alleged to have mixed illegally-acquired medicines with genuine product. (more…)

Based on the large amount of traffic at my last post –“How Many Fake Parts Are In Your Supply Chain?” –it’s clear that many of you are thinking about the integrity of your supplier networks.

But, remember this: That integrity isn’t dependent solely on genuine electronics and the other components that we typically think of as “parts.” The integrity of your supply chain also relies on that ambiguous, amorphous factor known as the “human element.”

And in fact, it seems that these days the human element matters more than ever before.

Thomas Friedman eloquently discusses this very issue in his Op-Ed piece, “A Question From Lydia,” in yesterday’s New York Times.

As Friedman sees it, our increasingly integrated world has made us –and by extension, our supply chains –more ethically interdependent.  He writes: (more…)

Counterfeit parts are increasingly infiltrating the electronics supply chain, and now anywhere between five to 20 percent of components in common consumer electronics are “probably” counterfeit, according to a new article in Engineering & Technology magazine, a publication of the Institution of Engineering and Technology.

In the article, “The Global Trade in Counterfeit Consumer Electronics,” author Kris Sangani points out that counterfeiters are becomingly progressively more adept at manufacturing fake components. That means, of course, that methods to detect counterfeit products also need to be more complex.

But, short of x-raying each component, what can electronics manufacturers do? And what about supply chains in other sectors? How can you mitigate risks and maintain the integrity of your supplier network? (more…)

Counterfeit products are penetrating supply chains deeper than ever before, and they threaten more than just your company’s bottom line. Fake components pose a risk to your intellectual property, your reputation, and your warranties and returns. In some cases, even the end users’ health and safety can be compromised, as well.

So are you curious about the latest statistics on counterfeit goods at US borders? Here are some interesting findings from the FY 2009 annual report recently released by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement: (more…)

Frisay’s post about fake parts in the supply chain is underscored by recent news from the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA). The EFPIA announced last week that it has launched a two-month pilot project to verify medicines and help reduce the risk of counterfeit pharmaceuticals being dispensed to patients.

The project, underway in 25 retail pharmacies in and around Stockholm, will verify more than 100,000 products. Each product will be coded with a small data matrix (similar to a barcode) that, once scanned, can alert the pharmacist as to whether or not a pack has been previously dispensed. The data matrix will contain information about product code, batch number, the expiry date and a unique, randomized serial number which identifies packs individually.

(more…)