- weak drug regulatory control and enforcement; - scarcity
and/or erratic supply of basic medicines; - unregulated markets
and distribution chains; - high drug prices and/or - significant
price differentials. At national level, governments, law
enforcement agencies, heath professionals, the pharmaceutical
industry, importers, distributors, and consumer organizations
should adopt a shared responsibility in the fight against
counterfeit drugs. Cooperation between countries, especially
trading partners is very useful for combating counterfeiting.
Cooperation should include the timely and appropriate exchange
of information and the harmonization of measures to prevent the
spread of counterfeit medicines. The World Health Organization
has developed and published guidelines, Guidelines for the
development of measures to combat counterfeit medicines. These
guidelines provide advice on measures that should be taken by
the various stakeholders and interested parties to combat
counterfeiting of medicines. Governments a