20 Nov 2009 11:00 AM
International Operation Combats The Online Supply Of Counterfeit And Unlicensed Medicines
An international week of action targeting the online sale of counterfeit and illicit medicines has highlighted the dangers of buying such medicines online.
Due to an ever-increasing number of websites supplying dangerous and illegal medicines, INTERPOL and the World Health Organisation's (WHO) International Medical Products Anti-Counterfeiting Taskforce (IMPACT) have this week co-ordinated 24 countries to launch Operation Pangea II.
National medicines regulators, police and customs have extensively collaborated in this global campaign.
The operation focused on the three principle components of an illegal website, the Internet Service Provider (ISP), payment systems and the delivery service.
Internationally, more than 16,000 packages were inspected by regulators and customs resulting in the seizure of nearly 167,000 illicit and counterfeit pills. During the operation, Internet monitoring revealed 751 websites to be engaged in illegal activity including offering controlled or prescription only drugs.
The public will be advised through global awareness campaigns that purchasing medicines from unregulated websites significantly increases the risks of obtaining counterfeit, sub-standard and dangerous products.
In the United Kingdom, enforcement officers from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) raided suspected premises in London, Chelmsford, Romford, Bristol, Brighton, Stoke-on-Trent, Leicester and Shrewsbury.
Three arrests were made, six websites have been closed down and £300,000 worth of illicit medicines were seized, as well as quantities of controlled drugs.
The types of medicines the MHRA found included those for erectile dysfunction, hair loss, contraception, weight loss, pain relief, asthma, local anaesthesia and steroids…
Due to an ever-increasing number of websites supplying dangerous and illegal medicines, INTERPOL and the World Health Organisation's (WHO) International Medical Products Anti-Counterfeiting Taskforce (IMPACT) have this week co-ordinated 24 countries to launch Operation Pangea II.
National medicines regulators, police and customs have extensively collaborated in this global campaign.
The operation focused on the three principle components of an illegal website, the Internet Service Provider (ISP), payment systems and the delivery service.
Internationally, more than 16,000 packages were inspected by regulators and customs resulting in the seizure of nearly 167,000 illicit and counterfeit pills. During the operation, Internet monitoring revealed 751 websites to be engaged in illegal activity including offering controlled or prescription only drugs.
The public will be advised through global awareness campaigns that purchasing medicines from unregulated websites significantly increases the risks of obtaining counterfeit, sub-standard and dangerous products.
In the United Kingdom, enforcement officers from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) raided suspected premises in London, Chelmsford, Romford, Bristol, Brighton, Stoke-on-Trent, Leicester and Shrewsbury.
Three arrests were made, six websites have been closed down and £300,000 worth of illicit medicines were seized, as well as quantities of controlled drugs.
The types of medicines the MHRA found included those for erectile dysfunction, hair loss, contraception, weight loss, pain relief, asthma, local anaesthesia and steroids…
