The Dangers Associated with Illegitimate Medicines
According to Interpol, "criminal networks are attracted by the huge profits to be made through pharmaceutical crime." However, this huge illicit gain means significant losses to legitimate drug companies in terms of reputation, revenue, and return on their investment in research and development.
Human health threats posed by the illegal pharmaceutical trade continue to grow throughout the world despite efforts of such entities as Interpol and WHO. The European Union reports significant expansion of illegal medicines detained at border crossings in 2010, with pharmaceuticals constituting 60 percent of all postal goods intercepted in transit. According to the Pharmaceutical Security Institute, Latin America and Asia were the top regions in 2010 for pharmaceutical crime. A Smithsonian article entitled "The Fatal Consequences of Counterfeit Drugs" details a thriving counterfeit malaria medicine market in Southeast Asia. Malaria victims save by buying the fake medicine, but the cost to their health is devastating.
While developed countries like the U.S. have strict guidelines in place that make it difficult for counterfeiters to do business, the Internet provides an attractive global venue for sales of illegal medications. In September of 2011, an Interpol operation targeting online sales of counterfeit drugs shut down over 13,000 websites engaged in the illegal distribution network. Nevertheless, the counterfeit pharmaceutical problem is far from solved.
From Internet
19 April, 2012
