EU urged to do more to combat fake drugs

The EU has been urged to “wake up” to the growing global menace posed by counterfeit medicines.

A conference in the European parliament heard that more than 30 per cent of medicines in some areas of Latin America, south east Asia and sub-Saharan Africa are fake.

But even in wealthy EU countries, with their strong regulatory controls, counterfeits still account for up to 50 per cent of medicine sales on the internet, Monday’s symposium - “Putting an end to drug counterfeiting” - was told.

Heinz Zourek, the European commission’s enterprise and industry director-general, said it was wrong to suggest that the EU was “lagging behind” in attempts to tackle the problem.

“We are endeavouring to find a solution to this growing problem in the interests of both citizens and the pharmaceutical industry and, hopefully, events like this will help raise awareness of the problem,” he said.

But his assertion was questioned by UK Tory MEP John Bowis, his party’s health spokesman, who said the EU needs to intensify its efforts to combat “soaring sales” of bogus medicines.

“The EU should issue guidelines on a pan-European track and trace system for prescription drugs – using a barcode – so that each individual packet or bottle of drugs can be traced from manufacture to distribution in the pharmacy,” he said.

His comments were echoed by Jean-Francois Dehecq, vice-president of the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA).

Branding current measures as “inadequate”, Dehecq said the EU should “wake up” to the problem.

“We have to differentiate between counterfeit T-shirts and counterfeit medicines. With fake medicines, we are talking about what can be a life or death issue.”

Oliver Stohlmann, of Pfizer, the drugs manufacturer, said it was “very concerned” about the “surge” in counterfeit medicines.

“This puts at risk the lives and wellbeing of patients in Europe and elsewhere. Illegal internet trade is one part of the story. However, fake drugs have also made it into the legitimate medicines supply chain in Europe.”

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