Beware of Counterfeits: Background Information on Counterfeit Drugs

Counterfeiting medication is very profitable for criminals. They take advantage of the good reputation of products and brands that the original manufacturer established through its consistently high-quality products. Fraudsters are only interested in producing what looks like an exact copy, and do not care about the quality and effectiveness of the contents. In many countries, the risk of getting caught and punished for selling fake medicines is relatively low. So counterfeiting medication can be more lucrative than selling illegal drugs. However, the structures are comparable to those in organized crime. Learn More.

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Sanofi leads charge against counterfeit drugs

In a laboratory on the outskirts of Tours, in the Loire region of France, a technician is examining a small cardboard medicine box under a microscope. The equipment is more commonly used by fraud detectives to identify fake passports or counterfeit banknotes but on this occasion it is being deployed by French pharmaceutical company Sanofi to detect falsified medicine. At the company’s Central Anti-Counterfeiting Laboratory, the suspect box is being compared with the real packaging of a common antibiotic, using high-tech imagery to look for anomalies in factors such as fonts, colours and engraving. Learn More.

 

Counterfeit Medicines - Is The Threat Real Or Fake

The issue of counterfeit medicines is far more of a problem than most people believe. Counterfeit medicines are dangerous by their very nature – they are not produced under safe manufacturing conditions and are not inspected by regulatory authorities. It is impossible to know what ingredients counterfeit medicines actually contain. Sophisticated counterfeiters may put some of the active ingredient in the fake medicine and make it look very similar to the real medicine. Learn More.

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Protecting Patients: The Fight Against Counterfeit Medicines

Illegal trade in counterfeit and substandard medicines is rising. Patients’ lives are at stake, and so is their trust in medication. At the same time, the costs to local and national economies and healthcare systems are immense. Pharmaceutical companies, law enforcement authorities and healthcare stakeholders are joining forces to tackle this global problem and ensure access to medicines means patients receive reliable, safe and effective pharmaceuticals. Learn More.