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Counterfeit Medicines Q&A

Counterfeit medicine, or fake medicine, is on the rise. Although the issue is more common in developing countries, people in the U.S. are not immune to this global threat. Below are some answers to common questions about keeping counterfeit medicine out of your cabinet.Q: What exactly are counterfeit medicines?A: Counterfeit medicines are medicines that are fake. They are also illegal and possibly dangerous to your health. Counterfeits are usually manufactured in substandard environments. And...

Programs & Initiatives

Three Pfizer Partnerships to Get the COVID-19 Vaccine into African Countries and Vaccinations into Arms

In 2020, as Pfizer and BioNTech were still developing the COVID-19 vaccine, Julie Jenson was thinking about how to distribute that vaccine to every country around the world, regardless of that country’s means. Jenson, who is Director of International Product Access for Pfizer’s Global Health and Social Impact Team, knew even in those early days that the ultracold storage demands and shipping requirements of the vaccine could pose challenges in reaching people living in remote areas of low- and...

Living & Wellbeing

Five Ways Climate Change Impacts Our Health—and What We Can Do About It

It took a split second, recalls Louise Proud. Something in the air triggered an asthma attack in her 18-month-old daughter. The baby’s lips turned blue as Proud rushed her to the hospital in a panic. Thankfully, the healthcare team helped the child breathe normally, and she was back to herself quickly. But Proud’s sense of safety and stability didn’t snap back so readily. For her, it was a moment of realization about how the environment and health are intimately linked. Proud, who is Vice...

Purpose & Ideals

Pfizer's Commitment to Disability Inclusion and Why It Matters at Work

When Rady Johnson contemplates the importance of diversity and inclusion in the workplace, he thinks of his son, Michael. Michael, who is 31, has worked as an office assistant at a travel agency for about 10 years. In the summer, he also works on a maintenance crew at a beach. “He's just the hardest worker that you'll ever see,” says Rady, who is Pfizer's Chief Compliance, Quality & Risk Officer. Michael also lives with an intellectual disability. Rady and his wife, Diane, adopted Michael from...

Science & Innovation

The Science Behind Migraine and Headaches

If you've never had a migraine attack, it’s hard to imagine how a headache can knock someone out of commission. Perhaps you've even referred to a headache as “having a migraine.” But if you're among the one billion people worldwide who lives with migraine, you fully understand how debilitating an attack can be.1 The pain, nausea, and sensitivity to light and sound can make it impossible to work or care for your family.  No wonder migraine is the second leading cause of disability.2  Understandin...

Purpose & Ideals

Counterfeit Prescription Drugs: How Organizations Are Combating the Sale of Fake Meds

In an expensive healthcare system, everybody wants more affordable medicine, but at what physical or emotional cost? If you get caught in a medical fraudster's trap, that cost may be steep. By taking counterfeit prescription drugs (which look real but aren't), you not only run the risk of not receiving the benefits of the intended medication, but fakes can also harm you. Unsuspecting buyers may experience allergic reactions, overdose, or other adverse effects caused by unapproved ingredients.1...

Living & Wellbeing

Heartburn, Acid Reflux, or GERD: What’s the Difference?

For many Americans, Super Bowl Sunday is as much an excuse to dig into snacks as it is to tune in for the game. Each year, we eat more than a billion chicken wings and 10 million pizzas.1,2 Then we wash it all down with more than 300 million gallons of beer. The resulting heartburn is often enough to raise antacid sales at 7-Eleven by 20% the day after the big game.1For about 60 million Americans, heartburn isn’t an aggravation isolated to one Sunday in February, but a condition they experience...

Purpose & Ideals

How To Identify Fake Medicines

Every morning, as you greet the day and shake your prescribed medicine into your hand, you're trusting that they’re authentic. Worldwide, though, counterfeit medications are more common than some might think.Studies show approximately 10-40% of medicines sold in low- and middle-income countries are counterfeit. In the United States, less than 1% of medicines sold in retail pharmacies are counterfeit.1By that comparison, the chances of your medication being fake are small, but there's still a...

Purpose & Ideals

Insights into Illegal and Counterfeit Drugs

People all over the world rely on medication for things like managing chronic illness, preventing pregnancy, and treating life-threatening diseases. Yet people unknowingly consume counterfeit drugs every day, even in developed countries with well-regulated healthcare systems. They put their lives at risk for something they should be able to trust. The pharmaceutical industry and global drug regulators are constantly working to keep any below-standard and fraudulent drugs out of circulation. But...

Programs & Initiatives

How One Woman’s Feeling of Helplessness Launched an Initiative to Hire Refugees

The images, unfortunately, have been too common for far too long: people young and old, refugees whose lives have been upended by forces beyond their control, fleeing their homes for safety. Watching it as it unfolds can make someone feel powerless. But what can one person do to make a difference? That was the question Mona Babury asked herself in August 2021 when the Taliban seized control in Afghanistan. From her home near New York City, as she watched footage of Afghan refugees, the trauma...

Living & Wellbeing

Understanding Six Types of Vaccine Technologies

Ever since the first vaccine was developed in 1796 to treat smallpox,1 several different methods have been created to develop successful vaccines. Today, those methods, known as vaccine technologies, are more advanced and use the latest technology to help protect the world from preventable diseases.2Depending on the pathogen (a bacteria or virus) that is being targeted, different vaccine technologies are used to generate an effective vaccine. Just like there are multiple ways to develop a...

Living & Wellbeing

Finding Breakthroughs in Sickle Cell Disease: Patients and Advocates Lead the Way

In most types of clinical research, a large number of patients participate in studies that explore an experimental treatment or approach. This decades-old process is how some of the most impactful, and even lifesaving therapies have come to be, from cancer drugs to COVID-19 vaccines.1 But what happens when scientists need to study a rare disease, one that doesn’t affect a high percentage of people? And what if those who are affected don’t participate because of social disparities...