Europeans Spend Billions On Counterfeit Medicines
7 CommentsBy Ed Silverman // February 16th, 2010 // 8:55 am
Western Europeans spend an estimated $14.3 billion each a year on illicit meds, many of which are believed to be counterfeit, according to a new survey sponsored by Pfizer. Overall, 21 percent of 14,000 people surveyed in 14 countries say they bought meds illicitly, ranging from 38 percent in Germany to 10 in the Netherlands.
The purchases occurred over the Internet or on overseas trips, in nightclub and through friends. Weight-loss pills accounted for nearly half of all online purchases, followed by prescription drugs for the flu, impotence, smoking cessation and painkillers. Separately, Syria recently shut down a ring selling counterfeit meds in the Middle East, The Wall Street Journal reports.
Jim Thomson, chairman of the European Alliance for Access to Safe Medicines, which receives industry funding, tells Reuters that tests by his group had shown that 62 percent of med purchased online were fake or substandard. “Does industry have a vested interest in this? Absolutely. But I think society should have an even bigger interest in getting this stopped,” he says. “Counterfeit medicine is costing the industry a huge amount of money but it’s costing healthcare providers a lot more.”
However, Reuters notes that critics argue the industry wants to heighten the issue in order to back demands for tighter controls on medicine supplies and packaging. Pfizer, you may recall, has co-sponsored a TV campaign called ‘Real Danger’, which features a man swallowing a rat (see here). Government officials appear divided….
Mike Deats, who heads enforcement at the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, which co-sponsored the ‘Real Danger’ ad, in November said it was rare for UK customers to receive counterfeit meds (see here). But outgoing European Union industry commissioner Guenter Verheugen said last December he was “extremely worried” about counterfeit meds after 34 million fake tablets were seized at EU custom points in just two months, Reuters notes.
Joana Ramos
And there is backdrop to the story that deserves scrutiny as well. There are numerous examples of Big Pharma-linked “education campaigns” worldwide that strive to conflate generics with counterfeits. The messages often given to consumers is that only brand-name drugs are safe, that patients must insiston branded drugs, etc.
Izzi B
One of my concerns is that so many agencies/schools/law enforcement seek to identify any pills they confiscate, through the usual channels, such as PDR or DEA online photos. Counterfeits may look like a particular product, but might not be that product at all.
And there are so many generic versions of major meds that it’s probably impossible to verify what they are –are they real medicines? are they counterfeit? are they legal or illegal?
I’m a big believer in generics, but I recognize the challenge when they could be mistaken for contraband, or when the local pharmacy selects a different manufacturer for a generic, and the consumer gets something unfamiliar.
“On the street” where dealers do their business, they generally stick to counterfeits of well recognized drugs.
Robert
A sad article considering those who purchase drugs on the “black market” probably can’t afford them otherwise. So they’re shelling out hard-earned money for what amounts to sugar pills.
Paul
Of course, someone here would find an angle to put the blame on the pharma companies. Your credibility quickly disappears when you have such a single minded focus.
This is a very unfortunate thing that is actually happening right here in the US - and the only ones that get hurt are patients and the only ones that gain are the intermediaries who sell the fakes.
harpy
with the possible exception of flu meds, none of the top 5 there are life or death drugs. weight loss and painkillers are typical abuser drugs, impotence can be seen as recreational (or possibly are to someone buying them on the black market), and smoking cessation? well, that’s just silly, but they are very expensive. I’d be more inclined to be worried if we were talking about diabetes meds or epilepsy drugs or ones that really make a difference in someone’s life.
but I know the pharmaceutical companies are behind it somehow!!
Joseph
Harpy,
The counterfeiters go where the easy money is and that is often lifestyle drugs. However, there are plenty of counterfeiters selling fake life-saving drugs, not copies, but water instead of insulin/epogen/paclitaxel etc.. kind of thing.
And as for the “big pharma is behind it” or big pharma conflating “generics with counterfeits”, that’s just nonsensical prattle.
There is a legal quagmire of liability for the manufacturers and distributors of the branded product if they knew of counterfeits and didn’t take appropriate steps to protect the consumer. And if you know anything about the counterfeiters, you’d know this is an arms race that big pharma is always on the short side.
harpy
I think there is a bit of confusion between “illicit meds” and meds “bought illicitly.” in my comment, I was referring more to the latter than the former. purchasing meds illicitly is always a caveat emptor situation, but purchasing illicit meds is another story. from the data I imagine not all of the illicit meds are being sold illicitly, so we’re talking some kind of well-organized operation on a large scale that is substituting illicit meds for legitimate meds in some way. which isn’t necessarily the case for those selling illicit meds illicitly. no?
and, yes, Joseph, it is nonsensical prattle. thank you for your observation.