The national DRA should monitor progress in implementing all aspects of the plan of action. Factors contributing to successes or failures should be identified. To this end suitable indicators should be developed, which could include the following:

- the specific mention of counterfeit drugs in legislation and the development of specific regulations in this area

- the authorization of drug enforcement officers to enter premises and to examine commercial documents relating to suspected supply of counterfeits, in the company of police officers, if necessary

- the availability of adequate laboratory facilities for the identification of counterfeit drugs

- a requirement for WHO-type certificates for imported drugs

- the compulsory reporting to the relevant authorities of any incidents in which counterfeits are detected or involved

- the existence of a structured system of regular meetings between the authorities, the relevant professions and the industry to review progress in implementation of the plan of action.

Measures should be designed in such a way as to promote collaboration between all parties concerned, and roles and responsibilities should be clearly defined. The specific measures required in developing and implementing the plan of action are considered in the next section.

The plan of action should be periodically evaluated and reformulated. This is particularly important in situations where it was not possible initially to implement the plan in full successfully, or where implementation has not succeeded in reducing the extent of counterfeit drugs in the national drug distribution channels. Any reformulation should take into account the results, both positive and negative, of earlier implementation steps.