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August 2010

ABPI condemns UK medicines shortage

The UK's Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) has announced urgent action is needed to tackle the worsening problems UK patients face when trying to receive their medicine prescriptions

following results of a medicine stock survey of pharmacists conducted by Chemist & Druggist magazine. The ABPI has expressed serious concerns about the risks for patients and is calling for urgent Government action to tackle what it sees as the root cause of the problem: those who are selling medicines intended for UK patients overseas to take advantage of exchange rates for profit.

Read the full story: PMLive

EU borders see an increase in fake medicines imports

The import of fake medicines across EU borders has grown in the last year with 11.4 million counterfeit items seized in 2009 – a rise from the 8.9 million fake medicines that entered Europe in 2008. Medicines were the third biggest category of seized goods – 10% of the total.

Algirdas Sementa, the EU’s commissioner for taxation, customs, anti-fraud and audit, said: "Fake products can pose a serious health and safety risk for consumers and cheat legitimate businesses."

Read the full story: www.packagingnews.co.uk/.../Fake-medicine-imports-grow-26m-pack-items-seized-EU-borders-download

Switzerland see a 75% increase in number of illegal medicines

The Swiss Agency for Therapeutic Products (Swissmedic) said on Wednesday that in the first six months of the year it received reports of 992 suspicious, potentially illegal imports of medicinal products from the Federal Customs authorities. Most were prescription-only drugs.

This is an 75 per cent increase on the same period in 2009.

Ruth Mosimann, head of control of illegal medicines at Swissmedic said “This is a global development which is worrying because these illegal and counterfeit medicines put the health of those who order them in danger.”

Read the full story: www.swissinfo.ch/.../Swiss_sound_alarm_over_fake_drug_imports.html

Wellcome Trust actively joins the fight against counterfeit medicines

The Wellcome Trust has awarded £473,000 ($737,000) in funding to researchers in the UK and Sweden to create a low-cost instrument that can screen medicines for quality and authenticity.

The overall aim is to develop a battery-powered, briefcase-sized system that can be deployed by regulatory authorities, law enforcement and pharmaceutical wholesalers in low-income countries plagued by counterfeit and substandard medicines.

A first-generation device is expected to be ready for commercialisation within the next two years.

Read the full story: http://www.securingpharma.com/40/articles/538.php

Pseudogenerics: emerging battleground in the illegal medicines trade

A new front has opened up in the war against illegal medicines, in the form of products which are manufactured and distributed illegally but are not direct copies of brandname drugs.

Read the full story: http://www.securingpharma.com/40/articles/552.php

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