New report highlights the need to ramp up the fight against counterfeit medicines
19.04.13
The report, Transnational Organized Crime (TOC) East Asia and the Pacific: A Threat Assessment, is the first to be published by UNODC on the topic. Based on data from 2008 to 2010, it examines contraband markets in four areas: people, narcotic drugs, environment, and goods – the last of which includes counterfeit goods, like handbags, and fraudulent medicines. Altogether, the contraband market surveyed is valued at some $90 billion; of that, $5 billion is thought to stem from medicines.
Counterfeit Medicines Acknowledged as a Global Health Concern
In a statement, UNODC pointed to the “serious global health implications” associated with such criminal activities. “Sub-standard drugs have two serious public health consequences: One: people get sicker or die; Two: drug-resistant strains can develop – as we now see with anti-malarials – and cause a global health threat.” stated Mr. Jeremy Douglas, UNODC Regional Representative, Southeast Asia and the Pacific.
This emphasis on the dangers posed by counterfeit medicines is timely – in fact, it’s overdue. The pharmaceutical industry has long pointed to the dangers of counterfeit medicines, and a number of companies have established campaigns targeting the issue. This March, INTERPOL announced the launch of the Pharmaceutical Industry Initiative to Combat Crime (PIICC), a €4.5 million venture targeting medicines counterfeiting that is being funded largely by global pharmaceutical companies.
European Responses in the Fight Against Counterfeiting
Other solutions designed to keep patients safe are underway in Europe: In 2011, the European Stakeholder Model (ESM), of which EFPIA is a member, was founded with the aim of establishing a system of verifying pharmaceutical products in accordance with the EU Falsified Medicines Directive. The result is the European Medicines Verification System (EMVS), which offers a modern technology solution to verify medicines authenticity by professionals at the point of dispensing. In a statement made this week, ESM announced that EFPIA, with the support of its ESM partners, had signed a contract with IT service provider SolidSoft to implement the system. This marks a concrete step forward in the EMVS’s implementation, and in the ESM’s fight against counterfeiting in Europe.
Creative initiatives against counterfeiting like this one will only become more essential, as criminals continue to capitalise on the progress of globalisation and technology. While unlawful trade of any kind can negatively impact economies and honest businesses, the illegal trade of counterfeit medicines is downright dangerous and deserves special attention.
