Danger from more and more fake medicines

Fake drugs on the Internet are booming

09/12/2013

Whether Viagra, blood pressure or anti-aging products: More and more people order drugs on the Internet, driven by the desire to be beautiful, slimmer and stronger. But the relatively cheap preparations are more and more often fake products, which may even be fatal.

Sales in most cases via the Internet
The trade in counterfeit drugs on the Internet is booming and causes great unease amongst pharmacists, pharmaceutical companies and investigators. According to Peter Keller of the Zollkriminalamt, "there are more illegal drugs every year". It said that "everything that makes you beautiful, slim and strong" is in great demand, according to the expert in a forum in Berlin. Produced, for example, in Eastern Europe or India, according to the expert, the drugs would in most cases be distributed via the net. But what at first glance for cheap „miracle cures“ It can quickly become a serious threat to the consumer and, in the worst case scenario, even fatal.

Counterfeit drugs are not a national problem
The trade in counterfeit drugs is not a national problem, instead, according to Wolfgang Schmitz from the Customs Criminal Office in June this year in a worldwide raid under the direction of Interpol 9.8 million plagiarisms were confiscated in about 100 countries. But even with this success would be according to Peter Keller so far only „scratched on the iceberg“, because according to data of the customs criminal investigation office in Germany in the first half-year 2013 more than two million counterfeit preparations were secured, which would mean an increase of 20 per cent in comparison to the previous year. But how many plagiarisms are actually produced, remains unknown, "the true extent is in the dark," said expert Keller.

Conventional pharmacy the safest way
According to the experts, consumers should therefore be particularly careful with drugs from the Internet, because preparations of unclear origin could quickly become life-threatening. Precisely because fake contraceptives, medicines for rheumatism, cancer or Alzheimer's are treated with too many, too few or wrong active substances, the consumer's own responsibility is particularly in demand here. Accordingly, according to the chairman of the drug commission German pharmacist, Martin Schulz, „the conventional way from the manufacturer directly to the pharmacy safer“.

„Mail-order pharmacies Register“ offers help with internet purchases
Anyone who still wants to order on the Internet, should take care on the advice of the Federal Ministry of Health (BmfG) to choose a certified mail-order pharmacy. Help here „a mail order pharmacy register and associated security logo“, which the German Institute for Medical Documentation (DIMDI) has created on behalf of the BmfG. In this pharmacies are recorded, „who have an official permit for the dispatch of medicinal products in Germany“, something for the consumer at a glance „security Logo“ on the website.

Greater protection through plagiarism detection control system
For even more safety and protection of the consumer, a new system is currently being tested which should be operational throughout Europe over the next four years. In the future, it should be possible to use a barcode to check whether vials and boxes and their contents are genuine. (No)