Detection and Analysis of Counterfeit Pharmaceutical and Cannabis Products Via Portable Instruments in the Field

Counterfeiting of both legitimate pharmaceuticals and illicit drugs is a worldwide problem, with major implications for human health. In parts of Africa it is estimated that as much as 50% of high-value pharmaceuticals are counterfeit. In North America and Western Europe, counterfeits may enter the prescription drug supply chain via mail and other shipping means. The public health, regulatory, forensic, and law-enforcement problems caused by falsified pharmaceuticals are centered on the ability to detect these fake products, remove them from the supply chain, trace them to the perpetrators, and achieve justice. In this Symposium, we will see how analytical testing in the field and in the laboratory are used in this endeavor. For illicit drugs, laboratory testing indicates 7 out of every 10 pills (e.g., purporting to be tablets of Adderall, Xanax, Ecstasy, Oxycodone etc.) seized by the US Drug Enforcement Agency contain a lethal dose of fentanyl, leading to the phrase ‘One Pill Can Kill’. Detecting and identifying fentanyl and its analogs at the earliest point of exposure is critical, and may be possible using portable spectrometers and other field methods at the sample site, for front-line personnel protection, patient treatment, and probable cause for law, customs and border enforcement actions. And now ‘brand name’ cannabis products, highly regarded in the community, are also counterfeited, with recent reports stating that the illegal cannabis market is dominated by organized crime groups. This Symposium brings together a number of experts on these topics, drawn from an international NGO (non-government organization), the US FDA, a leading forensic science university group and a commercial organization, which specializes in the supply, deployment and training for portable instruments. This Symposium will give a broad overview of the problems, and developing ways to counter them.