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In a 5 video series, Bayer documents the trail of fake medicines into Europe and the efforts of customs, the police and manufactures to stop these dangerous products from reaching the market. As part of INTERPOL’s Operation Pangea- an international control action to combat the smuggling of illegal medicines – in 2013 there were 10 million seizures of counterfeit medicines across over 100 countries. As stated by Frankfurt Airport Customs, when dealing with counterfeits: “We observe Read more…

Paul Newton of the Wellcome Trust explains why counterfeit medicines have dangerous ramifications even beyond death and disability. Watch the video here and click here to view more videos and resources about counterfeit medicines, a “Spotlight issue” of the Wellcome Trust.    The Wellcome Trust is one of the world’s largest biomedical research charities and its mission is to foster and promote research with the aim of improving human and animal health.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) outlines the following qualities of spurious/falsely-labelled/ falsified/counterfeit (SFFC) medical products: SFFC medicines are medicines that are deliberately and fraudulently mislabelled with respect to identity and/or source. Use of SFFC medicines can result in treatment failure or even death. Public confidence in health systems may be eroded following use and/or detection of SFFC medicines. Both branded and generic products are subject to counterfeiting. All kinds of medicines have been counterfeited, from Read more…

The Institute of Medicine has published a report, Countering the Problem of Falsified and Substandard Drugs, to disclose its findings on the potential threats fake medicines have to consumers. The report highlights the heavy burden falsified medicines place upon developing countries, but notes that developed countries also experience incidents of falsified and substandard medicines infiltrating the supply chain.   Click on the image to read full study.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warns the public to be aware of counterfeit medicines and “health fraud”- a scam that deceives people into purchasing unapproved and unregulated health products. Fake products span all therapeutic categories, from “wonder drugs” and “miracle cures” for weight loss and pain killers to treatments for cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer’s and HIV.  Getting medicines from unregistered and unregulated sources is dangerous and puts your health in serious risk. Noted Read more…

Fake medicines pose a serious risk to public health and safety and are one of the most harmful forms of illicit activities. The manufacturing, trade and consumption of these products pose a dangerous threat to people’s health. Furthermore, this criminal activity is big business: the sale of fake medicines from East Asia to Southeast Asia and Africa amounts to $5 billion a year poured into illicit economies. Click on the image above to read the United Read more…

Counterfeit goods generate over $250 billion a year for criminal enterprises, and their purchase could be funding other, more sinister organized criminal activities. A new campaign and PSA by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) – ‘Look Behind’ – highlights the criminal, ethical, environmental and health and safety concerns attached to this illicit business. Fake medicines pose a particular threat to public welfare, as they trick patients into believing they are receiving Read more…