The Pharmaceutical Supply Chain

Laws, regulations, and enforcement have controlled drug counterfeiting the United States, but there is growing evidence of organized groups profiting from drug counterfeiting. The practice of inference, using evidence rather than opening outer containers and scanning each item, is common in the pharmaceutical industry, but is not risk-free. To address this concern, the Forum developed a statistical sampling model for the pharmaceutical supply chain, to be used in combination with other practices related to inference. Sampling may allow companies to achieve the benefits of inference, while limiting risk and increasing confidence in the security of the supply chain.