EU: Seizures of counterfeit imports double in 2008

The European Union said seizures of fake branded goods more than doubled last year from 2007.  Customs authorities seized some 178 million counterfeit goods last year, compared with 79 million a year earlier.
Some 20 million of these items were potentially dangerous to health and safety, officials said, because fake toys, medicines and electronics don’t meet [...]

Counterfeits and drug resistance: the global concern of malaria

Many health experts are concerned that the growing resistance to artemisinin drugs in western Cambodia could result in a repeat of the fate of chloroquine, which became largely ineffective. Counterfeit drugs can contain insufficient amounts of active ingredient, failing to cure the disease parasite and allowing it to mutate and resist the drug.  With half [...]

Report on the spread of fake drugs in poor countries

The global trade in fake medicines is vast and growing, according to a newly released report by IPN (Keeping it real:  combating the spread of fake drugs in poor countries).  The spread of fake medicines results in millions of people unwittingly consuming cement, talcum powder, sawdust, paint and an array of other toxic or inert substances.  It [...]

Explosion in drug websites puts patients at risk

An investigation by the Telegraph (London, UK) revealed that hundreds of websites, many based in Britain, are selling dangerous drugs which should only be prescribed by doctors.
The Telegraph’s investigation revealed websites selling dangerous drugs with few or no checks.
The law states that patients buying drugs over the internet must first undergo a full online “consultation”.  [...]

Canadian sentenced for creating counterfeit drugs

Recently, there has been significant media coverage of the ongoing efforts of IMPACT, the WHO, many national  governments and other organizations to eliminate the distribution of counterfeit medicines.  For the most part, stories of counterfeit medicines have focused on African countries.  While counterfeit medicines are certainly more prevalent in areas of Africa than in many [...]

Tanzania pays price for cheap knockoffs

National Public Radio’s Marketplace – a public radio program in the U.S. - recently reported on the prevalence — and danger — of countefeit products in Africa.  The prices are cheap, but the long term economic and public health costs can be high.  The following is an excerpt from the transcript:
Listen to the full report
Tanzania has an [...]

Not letting the facts get in the way of a weak argument

Ensuring that patients around the world have access to safe and affordable medicines – be they brand name or generic – is an issue worthy of thoughtful global discussion and action.  But that discussion should be honest and forthright and not driven by half-truths and misrepresentation of the facts.
Recently, officials in the Netherlands exercised diligence [...]

Patients suffer as WHO politics continue

“Counterfeit” is a term that rarely needs defining, and yet controversy erupted again at the recent meeting of the World Health Organization’s Executive Board over just that. 
IMPACT (International Medical Products Anti-Counterfeiting Task Force) – a WHO partnership of major anti-counterfeiting players has recently proposed a new, stricter, definition of counterfeit medicines to help authorities combat [...]

IAPO calls on WHO member states to protect patients from counterfeit medical products

The International Alliance for Patient Organizations (IAPO) — a global alliance representing patients of all nationalities across all disease areas — issued a press release (included below) following the WHO Executive Board meeting calling on member states to protect patients from counterfeit medical products.  To meet this challenge, IAPO stated that numerous factors must be addressed, [...]

The WHO and counterfeit medicines – an unresolved discussion

At last week’s WHO Executive Board meeting, discussion focused on a WHO report and draft resolution on counterfeit medical products.  The International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) was one of many health professional associations, NGO’s and other interested groups who joined the discussion.  Their full statement is included below, but some of the key points raised included:

A common comprehensive definition [...]