SUMMARY

Drug counterfeiting puts the general public at risk. It is estimated that up to 25% of the medicines consumed in poor countries are counterfeit or substandard. Counterfeit drugs hurt pharmaceutical companies' bottom lines as well. An estimated $30 billion worth of drugs are counterfeited each year and that number is expected to increase.

"A drug brand is a valuable asset that deserves protection from counterfeiting," says Renard Jackson, Executive VP Sales & Mktg. for Cardinal Health's Packaging Services business. Counterfeiting can lead to loss of brand integrity, which can hurt a manufacturer for many years and affect the image and performance of other products, said Jackson.

This article reviews Cardinal Health's portfolio of brand security technologies.

Topics covered include:

• Counterfeiting Risk to Consumers and Manufacturers
• Effective Anti-Counterfeiting Measures for Brand Security
• Overt, Covert, and Forensic Anti-counterfeiting Features
• Anti-Counterfeit Packaging, Inks, and Holograms
• RFID: Project Jumpstart
• Choosing the Right Strategy