Serialisation

Anti-counterfeiting: Finding solutions to a global problem

EFPIAs Director General Richard Bergström puts forward his views on the counterfeiting of medicines, the impact on patients, and what is being done to solve the problem.

Counterfeiting is an age old issue. It is now a global problem where every sector of our economy has been affected. However, the consequences are different when it comes to counterfeit medicines; the main concern is not so much the loss of revenue to our industry but the health of patients. 

ESM (European Stakeholder Model): ensuring patients have access to safe medicines

A genuine threat to public health

Over 30 million counterfeit medicines have been seized by customs at EU borders over the last five years1

Counterfeiters do not discriminate between branded or generic medicines.

Counterfeit medicines market is lucrative only for counterfeiters and has a huge cost to European patients and society2.

62% of medicines purchased online are fake or substandard3.

95.6% of online pharmacies researched are operating illegally4.

Coding & Identification of Products: towards safer medicines supply

EFPIA is committed to securing the supply chain against counterfeit medicines. EFPIA is actively developing a coding solution that will enable medicine packs to be verified at the point of dispensing. The system was piloted in Sweden in 2009 and is now being developed in partnership with pharmacists, wholesalers and other stakeholders to meet the requirements of the EU Falsified Medicines Directive.

Call for Tender - European Medicines Verification System (EMVS) (05/04/2012)

Anti-counterfeiting measures on packaging such as holograms do already exist. But these can be copied, and therefore cannot provide an insurmountable barrier to counterfeiting of medicines. This fact has made it increasingly clear that other solutions are required. The EU Falsified Medicines Directive (FMD) establishes a framework for pack level serial numbers and verification of each pack at the point of dispense.

Pharma Associations Provide Update on Anticounterfeiting Initiatives

The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA), the European Association of Euro-Pharmaceutical Companies (EAEPC), the European Association of Pharmaceutical Full-line Wholesalers (GIRP), the Pharmaceutical Group of the European Union (PGEU), and the European Generic Medicines Association (EGA) issued statements last week in line with World Anti-Counterfeiting Day to address the problem of counterfeit medicines and their associations’ efforts in addressing the problem.

EFPIA Board Moves to Next Phase in Setting Up a Cost-Effective System For Medicines Verification with Stakeholders

EFPIA, the voice of the research-based pharmaceutical industry in Europe, is pleased to announce that on 27 April 2012 its Board formally adopted a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on medicines verification developed jointly with key supply chain partners representing pharmacists (PGEU), wholesalers (GIRP), and parallel distributors (EAEPC) at EU level.

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