This is partly because ofInternet that we owe the development of counterfeit drugs in recent years. Bernard Leroy, director of the Anti-Counterfeit Medicines Research Institute in France speaks of counterfeit medicines as a “dark figure”.¹

This new form of criminality seems very worrying since it covers a large part of the “cyberpharmacy” networks.

According to the World Health Organization, 50% of drugs from the online market, the Internet are fraudulent and represent 10% of the pharmaceutical market.²

There is no universal definition of a counterfeit product, it varies depending on the country and the regulations in force. The World Health Organization gives this definition ” a product which is deliberately and fraudulently provided with a label which does not indicate its identity and / or its true source »³ including generics.

Counterfeit drugs: a major public health issue

Counterfeit drugs are a major issue for the public health, they also pose major economic and intellectual property issues.

These new products deliberately deceive the consumer:

• Falsified packaging : incorrect packaging and labeling on the identity and / or origin of the product. Wrong dates, the drug can thus be expired for a long time.
• A compromised composition:  

  — the active principle is good but badly dosed,

  — the active ingredient is non-existent,

  — it is not the right active ingredient,

  — the product contains toxic substances such as rat poison, arsenic, cement, etc.⁴

In any case, these drugs can cause complications, side effects and sometimes even death in the patient. They endanger the life of the “patient” by excluding him from appropriate therapeutic care and by worsening his state of health.

The absence or low dosage of the active principle causes significant health damage, sometimes even irreversible. In the first case, the pathology will never have been treated and can even evolve and in the second case, the organism could trigger a pharmaco-resistance making the person even more vulnerable to the disease.

In any case, there is a danger of death

Counterfeiting: which diseases and which drugs are concerned?

Counterfeiting exists all over the world and concerns both trademarks and generics.

It concerns the treatment of almost all diseases, malignant or benign such as asthma, flu, colds, cancer, heart disease, diabetes, cholesterol, schizophrenia etc … and a wide range of drugs.

According to a study, in developed countries, weight loss products are ahead of influenza treatments.⁵ Drugs that would alleviate erectile dysfunction, such as Viagra are also very successful in industrialized countries.

Fraudulent medication: a sneaky infiltration of the web

50% of drugs sold online are said to be counterfeit and 96% of sites are illegal.⁶

To facilitate access to healthcare, some countries have authorized the online sale of drugs that do not require a medical prescription. This is the case for France, Germany, Portugal, etc. For these virtual pharmacies, they must comply with a strict legal framework.

Despite everything, many underground pharmacies operate illegally on the Internet by selling fraudulent drugs that require a prescription. For that,

they do not hesitate to conceal their real identity and / or their real location.

How not to fall into the cracks of the Tsheep?

• Imitation logos are easy to do. Some virtual pharmacies display a false certification which would justify their activity.
• For more safety: Health Canada, the Canadian Order of Pharmacists, the Ministry of Health and the French Order of Pharmacists, the National Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Health Products (ANSM) make available on their portal the official lists of online pharmacies authorized to practice as well as all the drugs authorized for sale on the Internet.
• The online sale of medicines must comply with certain regulations. It is reserved for the pharmacist only if the site is backed by a physical pharmaceutical pharmacy. Only drugs not subject to a medical prescription are sold.
• The simple flag does not justify the localization
• Ignore or delete spam emails that offer the purchase of drugs that are generally illegal.

• Avoid divulging any personal information about your health
• Beware of overly attractive prices

Why use counterfeit products?

It is difficult to quantitatively identify the share of counterfeit drugs on the economic market but we know that it would be around 1% ⁶ in industrialized countries such as certain European countries, Canada, Japan or even Australia unlike African countries, certain regions of Asia, Latin America, where we would reach 30%.⁶

Some people will turn to these illegal products because:

— They are cheaper. The health insurance system is not the same in all countries. In some regions, taking care of oneself is a luxury and the purchase of medicines represents a significant budget that is not accessible to everyone. Also, even with quality social protection, as in France, some drugs are not reimbursed by social security, so the idea of ​​buying online at a lower cost is tempting.

— due to a lack of supplies, dispensaries or regulated health organizations, they cannot find what they need in their country.

— in their country, drugs are not authorized, they require a medical prescription or do not benefit from a marketing authorization (MA).

Globalization, corruption and the new online commerce seem to be fostering this new fraudulent and deadly economy.

Who benefits?

Completely illegal, murderous and for the benefit of an underground economy, the counterfeiting of medicines brings more benefits, for those who practice it, than the trafficking of drugs like that of cannabis.⁷

For the counterfeiter, his micro-industry does not involve social security contributions, no corporation tax, no trademark royalty, no export cost. In the absence of regulation and by increasing the number of intermediaries, the infringer greatly increases his profit while standing out from the legal competition, he then offers prices bordering on derision.

In some geographic areas, it is difficult to establish real GMP (good manufacturing practices) control due to a lack of skills, strict regulations and resources.

The falsification of products is more and more sophisticated, sometimes being reduced to a detail on the packaging or to minimal differences in size between the official product and the one that is falsified.

Counterfeit medicines do not use the formal distribution circuit controlled by health authorities. It does not meet the safety rules of manufacture, packaging and distribution.

Buying drugs online is not trivial. This simple click can be fatal …

IRACM: Institute of Research Against Counterfeit Medecines, Institute for Anti-Counterfeit Medicines Research (IRACM). Counterfeit / falsely labeled / falsified / counterfeit medicines Fact sheet N ° 275 May 2012, the World Health Organization. Counterfeit Medicines: Dangers, Problems and Possible Solutions, Dr Sabine Kopp, Quality Assurance and Safety of Medicines World Health Organization. Proposed by Wilfrid Rogé deputy director of the Anti-Counterfeit Medicines Research Institute on France Info, published on September 25, 2013 on the IRACM portal. Guide for pharmacists, drugs and counterfeits. Press kit, corporate social responsibility, the fight against counterfeit medicines, sanofi. Comment by jean christophe marten perolin, conference: counterfeiting of medicines, judicial police, central brigade for the repression of industrial and artistic counterfeits. Symposium: counterfeiting of medicines whose actors are among others Dr Amor Toumi from the health organization, Jacques Franquet director of the general company sanofi aventis, phillipe keaney director of customs, stefan fûrhing general management for companies and industry. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, The Growing Threat of Counterfeit Medicines. study report: counterfeit medicines and criminal organization. order of pharmacists of québec: buying drugs online be careful!