In today’s global economy, where patients and consumers may potentially be exposed to counterfeit products in stores, online, or even in healthcare settings, we take tangible steps to help ensure that they receive only genuine products of the Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies. See our Position on Counterfeit Healthcare Products.
Our advanced capabilities in data analytics include leveraging innovative digital technologies to enhance supply chain integrity, safeguard our markets (through early detection of the presence of illicit trade), and more effectively expose the sources, networks and patterns of illicit trade throughout our global markets and channels. Our robust process for alerting customers and business partners of confirmed instances of counterfeiting, illegal product diversion or product tampering activities is governed by standard operating procedures and regulatory requirements. We maintain traceability within the distribution chain through an enterprise- wide Unique Device Identification (UDI) program to comply with global regulations, and satisfy customer requests related to data submissions, barcodes, and direct marking. Our current efforts include achieving compliance for published UDI regulations in several countries.
Advances in combating illicit trade in 2019, alongside all current measures and protocols in place to protect patients and consumers from counterfeit products, include:
- Preventing cross-border counterfeits: We established a global customs program to improve the detection and disruption of cross-border flows of illicit Johnson & Johnson products, with a focus on risk-prioritized trademarks. We led education and training sessions for customs officials to familiarize them with protocols for rapid response to notifications of suspect product.
- Product security investigations and enforcement (PSI&E): Through collaboration across several functions, we implemented a standardized global program for PSI&E. This will significantly improve our ability to action against any confirmed illicit trade incidents in a coordinated and effective manner to disrupt illicit trade and remove illicit product from the marketplace.
- Addressing illicit trade online: We expanded the internet monitoring program across our Pharmaceutical, Medical Devices and Consumer Health business segments, enabling us to monitor more than 150 brands that are at risk for infringing e-commerce listings, along with enhancing our capability for online-to-offline investigations of illicit trade. In conjunction with the Pharmaceutical Security Institute and other major pharmaceutical companies, we also continued to build on our extensive efforts to stop illegal online pharmacies.
- Monitoring markets: We expanded our offline market monitoring program for prioritized at-risk brands across all Company sectors and doubled the number of market surveys conducted. These activities helped deliver results that included several investigations and enforcement actions.
- Training our employees: We introduced a brand protection and combating counterfeiting module into our Code of Business Conduct training, which is mandatory for all employees. This fulfilled a major goal to raise the understanding and awareness of illicit trade issues among our employees, so they can be proactive about protecting our patients and consumers.
Our Performance
2019 |
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|---|---|---|---|
| Number of people (stakeholders) trained in brand protection best practices | 523 | ||
| Number of external trade groups, alliances, organizations and agencies in which Johnson & Johnson is engaged in leadership positions or industry working groups | 9 |