Sweden has for many years been one of the driving countries in the EUROPEAN union for the introduction of the enhanced security features of the drugs. Not that we have problems, but to prevent that we’ll get. Susanne Lundin, professor in european ethnology, Lund university, writes on the occasion of the new EU directive, the Falsified Medicines Directive, enters into force on 9 February a post in the DN Debate about the risks of falsified medicinal products. The article spans both legal and illegal trade, and if both the Swedish and international markets. The debaters highlights an important issue, that counterfeit medicines are a threat to public health, but the title ”Counterfeit medicines are becoming increasingly common in Sweden ‘ strikes well wide and are likely to worry both patients and relatives unnecessarily.
today, We already have in Sweden, one of Europe’s safest system of medicine distribution, regardless of whether you buy your drugs at a local pharmacy or order it from an approved internet pharmacies. And as in other industries, we can see that the growth of e-commerce. The new EU directive is a regulatory framework where the packaging is marked and registered so that no falsified medicinal products to enter into the legal supply chains and reach apotekshyllorna, whether it is a physical pharmacy or an approved internet pharmacies. But those who choose to buy medicines from alternative illegal channels takes continued a risk of getting counterfeit drugs, drugs that do not contain the right active ingredient or even – in the worst cases, downright harmful substances.
studying why some people are prepared to take big risks in the purchase of medicines and the result is worrying. A clear example of risky behaviour is that people, despite knowing that the drug requires a prescription decide to buy it, where prescription is not needed. Further research can give us better insight into how we can intensify efforts to communicate the risks of counterfeit and illegal medicines.
It is important, for example, with the knowledge of how to recognize a legal actor. Since the reregulation of the pharmacy market in Sweden, 2009 the indicator displays the ”Green cross” to the pharmacy, the medical products Agency’s permission to sell the drug. There is also a common symbol which indicates which which may sell medicines on the internet. These pharmacies are also included in the chain of actors, in addition to pharmaceutical manufacturers, läkemedelsdistributörer and health care facilities that are now the face of the new security features from the 9 February will make it even more difficult for counterfeit drugs to enter the legal supply chain and reaching patients.
already today, safe to buy or obtain drugs at Swedish pharmacies and with the new system so it will continue to be so. The huge investments being made for new labelling to ensure that the legal provision of drugs in the future should be as secure as it is today, notwithstanding the fact that rogue operators are challenging the system. One of the key factors for success is that we in the industry are doing this together so that new legislation and the new database fills all the parts of the system as the legislature intended.
But, as I so rightly points out, if more people choose illegal non-approved and audited trading venues increases the risk of counterfeit medicines spread, even in the Swedish society. And here perhaps it is time for a new campaign? Sweden has authorities, which are responsible for the both pharmaceuticals and public health. We cooperate gladly with these in order to provide more information on the safe handling of medicines.
