Many drugs fake

Drugs faked: Authority gives all-clear

22/10/2014

In northern Europe, drugs appeared several times this year, which were delivered from Italy and stolen or faked there. Now the Italian medicines agency gives the all-clear. It has "all products that were exported after the first June, checked," as the drug agency AIFA announced. For these medicines, "additional verification of the supply chain", which goes beyond the legal regulations in the EU, "is no longer necessary," according to a report by the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut (PEI)..

For medicines that were only delivered to hospitals by the marketing authorization holders in Italy, it is still recommended to clarify the legality. These are Afinitor, Atripla, Avastin, Caelyx, Ecalta, Eviplera, Exjade, Faslodex, Gilenya, Herceptin, Iressa, MabThera, Nplate (250mg), Prezista, RoActemra, Stelara, Sutent, Tasigna, Truvada, Tysabri, Velcade, Viramune, Viread and Votrient. In addition, according to the PEI, the AIFA and police would continue to investigate whether drugs are being manipulated.

Only use original packaged medicines
However, physicians, pharmacists and patients should continue to scrutinize whether or not drugs are in original packaging, according to the PEI. If this is not the case, the medication should be returned immediately and unused to the doctor or pharmacist. Background are sporadic falsifications from Romania that have surfaced at German wholesalers.

Since March, stolen or manipulated medicines originating from German hospitals and wholesalers who had come to Germany via legal delivery routes were noticed. After the PEI and the Federal Institute for Drugs (BfArm) announced the batch numbers of the affected drugs, these were ensured by the authorities, according to Spiegel.online.

Controls remain
Only after a joint review of the legality of delivery routes have European authorities, PEI, BfArm and state authorities released the drugs back into the market. Information on other illicit drugs is currently being collected by the AIFA to be sent shortly to the EU authorities.
Regardless, the cooperation of the German authorities should continue according to Spiegel online in the future. (Jp)