Communications Working Group
The infiltration and sale of counterfeit medical products in the legitimate supply chain can cause death and misery to thousands of patients around the world. Failure to act to prevent this criminal activity would be a fundamental breach of the trust that patients place in public health structures. Any effective solution must drive immediate change, be effective in the long term and receive the support and active engagement of all stakeholders involved in the medical products supply chain.
In communicating the key messages, policy makers need to promote responsible media reporting by encouraging and assisting in information provision to ensure accurate and non-sensational coverage.
The Communications Working Group aims to:
- develop agreed messages and ensure IMPACT presence, as appropriate, at important national and international events;
- develop advocacy, risk communication and education strategies and materials taking into account the need to address specific target groups such as patients and health professionals;
- develop more effective collection and analysis of information on suspected and confirmed cases of counterfeit medical products and dissemination of confirmed cases as appropriate;
- develop initiatives to communicate risks of purchasing medicines from unknown sources (e.g. Internet);
- assist national authorities to develop risk communication and advocacy materials