As a health professional, you are a critical player in the drug supply chain. You can break the link between criminals and patients by recognizing the warning signs of fake medicines, guiding patients toward safe sources, and reporting suspicious products before they cause harm. By taking the time to educate yourself and your patients, you ensure that public health and healthcare systems remain trustworthy and effective.

In this section, learn about your responsibility to protect medicine safety, communication with patients, and useful resources and tools.

Pause — Check before you trust. 

Take 30 seconds for a quick medication safety check. Ask where the patient obtained the medicine and visually inspect the tablets or packaging if efficacy seems off. A short pause can prevent harm. 

Probe — Ask and verify. 

Ask patients where and how they obtained their medicine. Use the NABP Safe Pharmacy Tool or QR code to confirm safe sources. Reinforce the message: only buy from verified pharmacies. 

Protect — Teach to spot the fakes. 

Show patients three simple red flags: misspellings on labels, pills that look or feel wrong, or packaging that’s been opened or tampered with. Empower them to check before they take. 

Pass it on — Report and share. 

Report suspected fakes to the FDA (MedWatch or Unsafe Online Pharmacies portal). Encourage patients to report as well. Add a reporting link or phrase in your EHR to make it easy.