Fake medicines net €35bn for gangs

HEALTH watchdogs strongly suspect one in 10 medicines on the market globally are fake, making €35 billion annually for the crime gangs that peddle the drugs.

Yesterday, the Irish Patients’ Association staged a conference in Dublin to address growing fears over fake drugs and the sale of medicines over the internet.

Among those present to hear calls for new criminal laws against the gangs was junior health minister Tim O’Malley along with key figures from the Government’s medicines industry regulators.

They were told how the World Health Organisation believes around 2% of medicines on the market in Europe are fake, while the percentage was as high as 25% in the Third World.

Stephen McMahon of the Irish Patients’ Association (IPA) said the Government needed to take urgent action to clamp down on the illicit and potentially deadly trade.

“There is a significant danger to public health and safety and, while it is easy to put a price on the cost to business, the human cost is priceless.

“Ireland has benefited greatly from the presence of the pharmaceutical industry and, as a result, the impact of counterfeit medicines on the Irish economy is substantial.

“Ultimately, we want to stamp out the illicit medicines trade, which is both illegal and deadly.”

Last year, the Irish Examiner revealed the ease with which anyone with an internet connection could buy medicines online from rogue pharmacies.

Patients have no way of knowing whether the medicines they buy off the internet are genuine and are putting their health at risk.

The IPA conference, called Action Against Counterfeit Medicine, heard how medicine manufacturers carried out undercover work on the internet and ordered drugs to test them. One prominent firm, which has plants across Ireland, found that 47% of the medicines ordered online turned out to be fake, making them at best useless or lethal at the very worst.

Delegates heard that, although the true extent of counterfeit medicines was unknown in Ireland, in recent years five cases of fake drugs were found in British high street pharmacies being dispensed to patients.

“The internet is one of, if not, the biggest market place for counterfeit medicines. Anyone who has e-mail has seen the numerous spam messages sent offering good deals on Viagra,” said Mr McMahon. “Our message to the public is ‘Don’t self-prescribe and buy off the internet. Know your medicine, its colour, texture, taste and shape and report any differences to your pharmacist’.”

He said the Government should set a formal framework uniting customs, gardaí and health agencies to tackle the problem.

The conference heard counterfeit medicines are imported into Europe through complex distribution networks, including trans-shipment through third countries to launder the product.

Some drugs enter the legitimate supply chain through the ‘grey market’ where they are picked up by licensed wholesalers trading flexibly and looking for profit opportunities.

“The safety and well-being of patients is our number one priority,” said Mr McMahon, “and, as such, it is imperative that the supply chain of medicines is 100% regulated and there are no opportunities for counterfeit medicines to reach patients.

“The global market in counterfeit medicines has soared in recent years with the development of more sophisticated counterfeiting technology and opportunities to sell on the internet.”