Opinion: Heparin Deaths Just the Start

Unfortunately the recent FDA announcement of over 100 deaths due to contaminated Heparin, is just the start of a health care epidemic within the United States.

As with other consumable products that are now produced globally, the United States Pharmaceutical Supply Chain is now more vulnerable than ever.

In 2008 nearly every pharmaceutical manufacturer has doubled their overseas production. Additionally over 80% of all raw materials used in the production of pharmaceutical products is produced overseas

We here in the United States have been relatively protected from exposure to contaminated, adulterated and counterfeit medications that has been a scourge for the rest of the world for many years.

In 2006 it was estimated that the US Pharmaceutical Supply Chain had only 1% of its channel impacted by contaminated, adulterated or counterfeit medications. This still meant that one in nine citizens had at least one of its prescriptions filled with bogus medication.

Globally this statistic in 2006 was that nearly 10% of medications or one in ten within the Global Pharmaceutical Supply Chain were fake and potentially lethal.

* Expect the percentage of the United States Supply Chain of fake medications to rapidly grow in 2008 with the rise of more Heparin-like incidents. Most likely the United State's Pharmaceutical Supply Chain will begin to mirror the Global Supply Chain statisically.
* Expect to hear stories in the media with dozens, hundreds or even thousands in the Untied States made ill or even die because there are no effective measures in place to authenticate the validity of the medications within the Supply Chain. No longer will the stories of hundreds of people dying because of contaminated or fake medications be exclusive to underdeveloped areas of Africa and Asia.

Even though the technology is currently proven and readily available to authenticate the molecular structure of medications within a sealed bottle, the regulatory, manufacturing, distribution and dispensing members of the Pharmaceutical Supply Chain are hesitant or unwilling to deploy effective measures and appropriate technology to protect the United States consumer.

Fortunately the solution and technology is available today to prevent these impending health care disasters due to fake and contaminated medications. Now all we have to do is convince the members of the supply chain and the regulatory agencies to put it in place.

Just check out our website at www.xstreamsystems.net to see the solution.