Real deaths from fake drugs

The trafficking of counterfeit medicines has dramatic consequences all over the world, including in Europe

peopleforplanet – 4 marzo 2019 – di Bruno Patierno

Counterfeit drugs: a better business than heroin

The counterfeit drug business is a hugely profitable business. While heroin trafficking produces an average of $ 20,000 in profit for $ 1,000 invested, the same investment in the counterfeiting of a drug "blockbuster" according to theIracm (Research Institute Anti-Counterfeiting Medicines) produces a profit of $ 250,000 to $ 450,000, up to over 20 times more than heroin trafficking. Not only more lucrative than narcotics, but also particularly less risky in terms of possible criminal consequences. «The relationship between investment, return and risk is phenomenal. That's why this traffic is growing, he claims Bernard Leroy, director of Iracm. Despite the dangers to public health, the trafficking of counterfeit medicines does not enter the field of drug trafficking. Counterfeit medicines are subject to the counterfeit product regulations. But the counterfeiting of medicines, as it affects human health, should be punished much more severely than the counterfeiting of Louis Vuitton handbags. "This explains why the main Mexican drug cartel would also be interested in converting to the production and trade of fake drugs".

100,000 deaths a year in Africa alone

One in ten drugs sold worldwide is a false, says the WHO (World Health Organization). In some countries, this figure can reach as high as seven out of ten medicines, particularly in Africa, where 100,000 people die every year due to the use of counterfeit medicines.

What does this illegal production represent in relation to the volume of global pharmaceutical production? According to Bernard Leroy (IRACM), «legal production amounts to 1 trillion dollars while fake medicines represent between 70 and 200 billion dollars worldwide». Most of the production of fakes is concentrated in China And India, two countries that also produce raw materials and active ingredients of many medicines marketed in Western countries. “In Pakistan, production takes place in backyards. In China, the illegal traffic is concentrated in the legal sector that produces the raw material for the whole world" explains the director of Iracm.

In addition to counterfeiting, there are sometimes problems in the storage and distribution of medicines. According to Bernard Leroy, “Medicine containers from China are sometimes stored in Africa. Sometimes, to get a bribe before releasing the shipment of medicines, the customs officer leaves the containers in the sun. Inside, the temperature can soar up to 80 degrees. This automatically reactivates the vaccine strains.”

In Benin, President Patrice Talon, in office since April 2016, is fighting a fierce battle against counterfeit medicines. At the 32nd African Union summit in Addis Ababa on February 10, member countries adopted the treaty establishing the African Medicines Agency to combat the proliferation of fake medicines. «We are developing systems to combat criminal drug trafficking but this is happening too slowly, says Bernard Leroy. There must also be strong action by the G7 and in particular by the G20».

Fake medicines in Europe

In Europe, the problem of counterfeiting is of a different nature. Product imitations have reached such a level of sophistication that sometimes it is impossible to distinguish the true from the false with the naked eye. Fortunately, consumers are protected by a pharmacy distribution system that has proven itself so far Safe. «The most falsified drugs are the products against erectile dysfunction, slimming, anabolic steroids. They travel through two channels: transit areas, such as ports or airports, and the Internet."

The operation "Pangea“, initiated by Interpol and the World Customs Organization, is the main internationally coordinated effort to combat the trafficking of illicit medical products. In the last year it has made it possible to identify 116 illegal resale sites.

The European operation Mismed was launched in 2017 following the discovery of the trafficking of Subutex (a drug used to combat drug addictions) between France and Finland. Operation Mismed also fights the scourge of "misused medicines." Many legal drugs, such as Subutex, are diverted from their use and then resold for psychotropic purposes. According to the director of Mismed, Jacques Deacon «Investigations have shown that the problem of counterfeit medicines is increasingly important in Europe. Some products have the appearance of correct packaging but are not. Almost half of the counterfeit medicines seized on European soil look like the legal product. Through this operation, the various European services conducted 43 judicial investigations and arrested 24 organized criminal groups in the 16 participating countries.'

Europe approves Datamatrix to fight fakes. In Italy only from 2025

A barcode for each drug sold. This is the measure taken to combat the resurgence of counterfeit medicines in Europe. Effective February 9, this serialization device follows a European directive passed in 2011. Called the "Datamatrix," the new black-and-white pictogram isn't just a barcode. And a real one ID card for the drug, now present on every medicine pack sold in Europe. The number is a sequence of 20 alphanumeric characters. He will verify that the box is free from any manipulation. Once scanned, the packaging and its data are checked in real time against a European database. In addition to this serial number, each package will be equipped with an anti-tamper device: a cardboard ring that will guarantee the consumer that the medicine has not been opened. The objective of this measure is to combat the trafficking of falsified medicines in the legal supply chain. But also to strengthen the drug distribution circuit to track and locate the counterfeit.

The Italian Government has requested and obtained the introduction of Datamatrix in our country only since 2025 since we already have a tracking system (the self-adhesive sticker), although the pharmaceutical companies' organizations hoped for the immediate introduction of Datamatrix here too.

Sources:
liberation.fr
iracm.com
who.int
europol.europa.eu