IPEC Federation statement on the ‘WHO–UNODC Report on Contaminated Medicines and Integrity of the Pharmaceutical Excipients Supply Chain’
Category: IPEC FederationIPEC Federation welcomes the joint report published by the World Health Organization and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to which we were pleased to contribute.
The report highlights the urgent public health threat posed by contaminated medicines – in particular for those resulting from the use of substandard or falsified ingredients such as diethylene glycol (DEG) and ethylene glycol (EG).
We support WHO and UNODC’s call for stronger regulatory oversight, enhanced quality assurance, and improved transparency and traceability across the pharmaceutical supply chain, including excipients.
As an international association committed to the use of safe pharmaceutical excipients, we will continue our activities promoting the importance of:
- Robust application of GMP and GDP for excipients, and the promotion and use of internationally recognised tools such as the IPEC–PQG GMP Guide and the IPEC GDP Guide;
- Secure supply chains, with special attention to clear documentation of excipient origin, quality, and handling;
- Continuous education and training for all actors across the supply chain on how to assess the quality and suitability of excipients used in pharmaceutical manufacturing;
- Strengthening quality assurance in the supply chain through certification schemes such as WHO SMACS and EXCiPACT certification.
IPEC Federation remains committed to working closely with WHO, regulators, and stakeholders safeguarding the use of excipients in medicines.
Protecting patients through global partnerships in the innovation and safe supply of pharmaceutical excipients.
About IPEC Federation
The IPEC Federation is a global organization that promotes quality in pharmaceutical excipients. The IPEC Federation represents the five current regional International Pharmaceutical Excipient Councils (IPECs) – IPEC-Americas, IPEC Europe, IPEC Japan, IPEC China and IPEC India – and provides a unified voice to promote the best use of pharmaceutical excipients in medicines as a means of improving patient treatment and safety. Further details are available on the IPEC Federation website.