Researchers from universities and institutes across Europe, including Fight the Fakes partner IRACM, have recently launched FakeCare, an integrated approach to mapping the phenomenon of fake medicines across the continent.
The problem of fake medicines in Europe has increased dramatically with the rise of the Internet, allowing criminals to circumvent traditional distribution channels and directly reach patients online. For the most part outside of the reach of regulatory authorities and law enforcement, medicine counterfeiters set up thousands of temporary websites to push fake medicines, and then shut them down soon after to avoid detection, popping up with a new website.
As stated by FakeCare, the project will:
- improve and systematize knowledge on the demand and supply mechanisms by using innovative research methods
- create specialized figures through advanced training courses;
- develop an ICT tool prototype for the automatic detection of illegal online pharmacies (for use by law enforcement agencies);
- improve awareness-raising campaigns;
- develop a tool to determine the risk that a given medicine may be counterfeited and traded online.
Visit FakeCare’s website to participate in the online questionnaire.
NB: Please note that FakeCare is at present accessible to 7 research countries: Bulgaria, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, UK.
