Exposing Counterfeit Drugs With Mobile in Ghana

Part of a Special Series Developed in Partnership With MobileActive.org

Counterfeit drugs are on the rise in Africa according to a number of well respected sources. For example:

The World Health Organization estimates 10-percent to 50-percent of drugs consumed globally are counterfeit.
The International Policy Network has found that 700,000 Africans die a year from counterfeit drugs.

The counterfeit drug problem is compounded by the low-literacy rates of much of the African population. To address this, two US scientists launched the mPedigree service in Ghana.

Through mPedigree and partner organization IMANI Center for Policy & Education, mobile users can send a SMS (text message) to mPedigree to verify the drug they are about to purchase is authentic. The consumer simply text messages the serial number on the drug to a short code. They receive a response text message about the authenticity of the drug.

Key Activities:

mPedigree completed a series of tasks prior to launching the service in 2007:

Gathered a consortium of drug provides to sign onto the program
Acquired key agreements with multi-national telecommunications companies
Created a uniform short code
Gathered support from the National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance
Produced a half-hour documentary titled If Symptoms Persist to showcase stakeholders
Aired the documentary on repeat nation-wide telecasts in Ghana
Organized four conferences and symposia with high media interest

The founders of mPedigree plan to integrate more complete technology to read holograms on Ghanian drugs.

Results:

mPedigree ran its first technological trial in late 2007. The trial involved 3,000 units of Efpak cough tonic in Ghana. mPedigree conducted a client-intercept survey of 2000 drug patrons revealing that over 43-percent of the respondents did not know counterfeit drugs were sold on the market.

In 2009, mPedigree won first place in the Emerging Markets category of the Nokia Innovators contest.

Industry:

Healthcare

Primary Communications Discipline:

Public Relations

Organizations Involved:

mPedigree, IMANI Center for Policy & Education

Campaign Dates:

2007-Present

For More Information:

MobileActive.org Article: Using SMS to Fight Fake Drugs in Ghana, November 1, 2007, http://mobileactive.org/sms-against-fake-drugs
Pfizer Battles Counterfeit Drugs With Rats, Living the Path Case Study, community.pathoftheblueeye.com/wiki/pfizer-battles-counterfeit-drugs-rats
Malaria | Counterfeit Malaria Drugs on Rise in Asia, Africa; Could Lead to Drug-Resistant Strains, Study Says, June 14, 2006, http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=37892
Counterfeit drugs kill over 700,000 people every year - new report, May 26, 2009, http://mpedigree.net/2009/05/26/counterfeit-drugs-kill-over-700000-peopl...
Bright Simons wins Ghana one more ICT innovation award with mPedigree, September 3, 2009, http://ghanabusinessnews.com/2009/09/03/bright-simons-wins-ghana-one-mor...
Pharmaceuticals: Facts and Figures, 2009, http://www.iccwbo.org/bascap/id6249/index.html

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