title: Viewpoint: Counterfeit medicines and substandard medicines: Different problems requiring different solutions.
abstract: New interest in the 'pandemic' of falsified medicines has resulted in efforts to put in place a treaty on 'medicines crime'. If the goal is to protect the interests of people and public health, an international agreement to ensure that all proven effective and necessary medicines are affordable, available, and of assured quality will do far more to combat falsified and substandard medicines than an agreement that deals primarily with the criminal aspects of problematic medicines production and distribution.
authors.affiliation: Medicines Law and Policy, Paris 75011, France.
authors.forename: Ellen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: 't Hoen
authors.affiliation: Quamed, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium.
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pascual
mesh_terms: D058110:Counterfeit Drugs; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D007391:International Cooperation; D007880:Legislation, Drug; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000592:standards* / Q000600:supply & distribution
chemical_list: D058110:Counterfeit Drugs; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations