News Room

COUNTERFEIT MEDICINES

While the issue of counterfeit medicines is not new, there seems to be a growing prevalence of incidents reported by the media. The following articles highlight some of the reported cases, and dangers, of counterfeit medicines.

Dubai destroys over 300 tonnes of counterfeit goods

(Emirates Business 24/7 - Feb. 6, 2008) Dubai has destroyed more than 300 tonnes of imports in its war on counterfeit goods during 2007, according to director-general of Dubai Customs.

Fake Drugs Kill People All Over World

(Korea Times - Jan. 22, 2008) Health and crime agencies of the United Nations say that counterfeit drugs are killing people from China to Canada, and that they ``promote the development of new strains of viruses, parasites and bacteria ... for example in the case of malaria or HIV."

Parallel trade “considerable risk” to patient safety, says EC

(Pharma Times - Jan. 21, 2008) The European Commission is to prioritise and speed up moves to deal with the issue of counterfeit drugs in parallel trade and will launch a legislative initiative on the issue.

Pharma Times - Jan 21, 2008.pdf 14.35 kB

Pharmacy regulator launches online safety scheme

(HealthcareRepublic.com - Jan. 16, 2008) The Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB) has launched a new online scheme to help people verify the authenticity of websites when buying prescription drugs online. The move was prompted by the results of a new research released by the society last week which revealed that more than 2 million people in the UK buy prescription medicines over the internet without knowing if the online pharmacy or the medicines are legitimate.

Medicines that kill: A global industry of fake drugs

(China Post - Dec. 22, 2007) U.N. health and crime agencies say counterfeit drugs are killing people from China to Canada and they "promote the development of new strains of viruses, parasites and bacteria". In many countries their manufacture and distribution is not even illegal.

Indian High Commission joins war on fake imports

(IPP Media - Dec. 20, 2007) The Indian High Commission has declared war on counterfeit products believed to be flooding the Tanzanian market from Asian countries.

DOH issues fake drugs warning

(Taipei Times - Dec. 18, 2007) The Department of Health has issued an emergency warning to regional health bureaus across the nation, asking them to be on the lookout for counterfeit drugs that are believed to have made it onto the market from a Chiayi County drug counterfeiting operation.

Counterfeit Drugs’ Path Eased by Free Trade Zones

(The New York Times - Dec. 17, 2007) A recent seizure highlights how counterfeit drugs move in a global economy, and why they are so difficult to trace. The problem is that counterfeiters use free trade zones to hide — or sanitize — a drug’s provenance, or to make, market or relabel adulterated products, according to anticounterfeiting experts.

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