Until now, many developing nations—where counterfeit medicines are a real problem—haven’t had a standard protocol to conduct investigations and pursue prosecutions.
New research in the Journal of Forensic Science and Criminology provides the foundation to apply criminology theory to preventing the production and sale of fake and substandard medicines.
“Our paper provides real-world application of well-respected criminology theory, which is typically unconventional for public health professionals,” says John Spink, director of the Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine’s Food Fraud Initiative and lead author of the paper.
“While there should be more research before reaching additional conclusions, a country’s willingness to combat counterfeit and sub-standard medicines may be an indicator of modernization and the stabilizing of a country.”
