The Partnership for Safe Medicines 2019 Congressional Senate Briefing (September 24, 2019)

Hear why advocates for medicine safety from the United States and Canada think Canadian drug importation is a non-starter that will expose Americans to dangerous fake drugs, and Canadians to drug shortages.

Join us to hear two panels as well as an announcement about new legislation by Representative David Kustoff (R-TN 8th District) designed to control the unrestricted importation of pill manufacturing equipment.

Introduction: Welcome and Overview of new counterfeit developments
Rick Roberts (Patient advocate, counterfeit drug victim and PSM board member) introduces the recorded remarks from Representative David Kustoff (R-TN 8th District).
PSM board President Dr. Marvin Shepherd provides an overview of the current counterfeit drug crisis. Dr. Shepherd has just published a study entitled New pathways for U.S. importation threaten Canadian prescription drug supply, in the September issue of Canadian Health Policy.

Panel 1: Can you really implement Canadian importation?
Dirk Rogers (RX Trace), John Adams (Best Medicines Coalition Canada), and Don Bell (Chief Superintendent (Ret) of the Ontario Provisional Police) describe Canadian medication law and break down the issues and misinformation surrounding Canadian drug importation proposals. Moderator: Shabbir Safdar

Panel 2: Cartels and Counterfeits: International Organized Crime Bring Counterfeit Drugs to the US
Andrea Thomas (counterfeit drug victim family advocate), Armando Rivera (Americas Product Illegal Trade and NACC Security Lead at Bristol-Myers Squibb,18 year veteran of the DEA), and Mark Baughman (DEA (ret) and Florida Sheriffs (ret) discuss the way that cartels are retooling their operations to more efficiently bring counterfeit medication into the United States.
Moderator: Charlie Cichon

Closing Remarks
PSM Board President, Dr. Marv Shepherd