Countering counterfeits: The role of nurse practitioners in the fight against substandard and falsified medicines.

Substandard and falsified (SF) medicines, also referred to as counterfeit drugs, represent a global public health emergency. These products range from drugs with no or little active ingredient to medicines laced with illicit fentanyl. Counterfeits can be copies of brand, generic, or over-the-counter medicines. In some cases, sophisticated counterfeiters will add some of the active ingredient, making the fake medicines harder to detect. Substandard and falsified medicines affect treatment outcomes, exacerbate health inequities, and undermine health care systems around the world, including in the United States. Although significant strides have been made to enhance oversight and bolster regulatory frameworks, recent evidence underscores a glaring omission: insufficient education and training of US health care providers, including nurse practitioners, on the detection, management, and prevention of the harms related to SF medicines. Keywords: substandard and falsified medicines; counterfeit drugs, nurse practitioner education; pharmaceutical safety; online pharmacies; patient counseling.