Counterfeiting Amidst Covid-19
The Covid-19 pandemic, apart from being a global health catastrophe, is also a time when global supply chains are considerably stressed and counterfeiting is very rampant. Counterfeiters are targeting the pharmaceutical industry in particular.
Taking advantage of the heightened healthcare concerns worldwide, unscrupulous elements have tried to profit from the situation by trying to sell fake medicines online. This is something that is unethical on many grounds as such medicines may not be properly formulated and may contain ingredients that can harm one’s health.
The raging pandemic makes it all the more imperative that this menace be tackled effectively with both the WHO and Interpol reporting an increase in the number of fake medicines pertaining to the Covid-19 pandemic emanating from the developing countries.
As a matter of fact, a large number of fake Covid-19 test kits and personal protective equipment (PPE) like fake masks have been seized by the U.S. CBP (Customs and Border Protection) and the World Customs Organization. The customs department of many other countries are reporting similar counterfeiting incidents as well. As many as 500,000 counterfeit N95 masks were seized by Chicago CBP1. They also seized 240 counterfeit 3M masks.2
While the times ahead might see a treatment or vaccine developed, there is a danger that these would be subject to counterfeiting as well, making it imperative for governments to put in place systems that can prove the provenance of products across the supply chain.
It is incumbent upon governments to ensure that effective measures are put in place to deal with the problem of counterfeit medicines and medical supplies that imperil the safety and well-being of the public.
Most Faked Products during Covid-19
Counterfeiters are taking advantage of the Covid-19 pandemic by selling fake medicines, PPE, test kits, and even health certificates and vaccines. A number of scams have come to light where fake self-testing kits and medicines have been sold to unsuspecting people to protect themselves from the coronavirus. It is no surprise that the FDA and the Federal Trade Commission issued warning letters to seven companies for selling fraudulent Covid-19 products.3
There have even been many instances of governments having been taken for a ride by fake businesses offering to sell masks, but never delivering them against the payment received.4
In light of the above, the European Anti Fraud Office (OLAF) launched an official enquiry into the illegal trading of face masks, disinfectants, medical devices, medicines, sanitizers, and test kits on 19 March 2020.
It is significant that on collecting and analyzing data pertaining to the arrival of these items in the European Union (EU), they were able to identify more than 340 companies playing the role of intermediaries of such counterfeit or substandard product manufacturers.5 As a matter of fact, millions of such substandard products linked to the pandemic, which had received fake EU certification were seized in several EU countries. OLAF has its task cut out with regard to finding out the origin of these fake products.
To this end it has tied up with customs and enforcement authorities across Europe and elsewhere in the world including Europol, Interpol, the EU Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) and the World Customs Organization.
Anti-Counterfeiting Technologies to Thwart Counterfeiters
Considering the huge menace caused by fake medical supplies flooding the world in the wake of the Covid-19 crisis, it is imperative that effective ways of identifying and stopping such malpractices be identified. Counterfeiters take advantage of long and complex supply chains that allow them to counterfeit or divert products undetected.
Verifying Authenticity of Surgical Mask Via QR Scan
The best way to deal with this problem is to implement effective physical and digital anti-counterfeiting technologies.
One of the best ways to secure your supply chain security is to implement traceability systems like TrackMatriX®. Full traceability of the supply chain is achieved by embedding serialized and unique identifiers in data carriers like QR codes or NFC tags placed in product labels or packaging.
This technology can be effectively leveraged to track and trace pharmaceutical or medical supplies needed to fight Covid-19 as products move throughout the global supply chain. Scanning the QR codes or NFC tags by way of inspection adds additional data points that incrementally enhance supply chain traceability.
By the time the products reach the end user, they can also scan the products through their smartphones to verify authenticity and check detailed supply chain information about the product’s provenance, expiry date, and other relevant data.
With precise insights into where pharmaceutical products are sold, bought, and delivered companies can ensure that the integrity of their supply chain is maintained.
Anti-counterfeiting technology using unreplicable QR codes can further be enhanced once these codes are included as part of security labels.
Multi-level security labels can have overt, covert and even forensic features. These could include:
- Hologram
- Security graphic elements (guilloche, relief, microtext, etc.)
- Security inks (UV fluorescent, photochromic, thermochromic, etc.)
- Invisible taggants
- Security cuts and brittle substrates
- Tamper-evident features
Security Label with Multi-level Security Features
These physical security features help ensure that consumers and inspectors identify counterfeits, warranty return fraud, parallel trading, product dilution, and even production overrun.
At a time when the world may be at the cusp of finding an effective vaccine or lasting cure to the coronavirus pandemic, it is absolutely imperative to put the best defense to secure medical and pharmaceutical supply chains against the dangers of counterfeits.