EU seizures of counterfeit drugs rise sharply
Seizures of counterfeit pharmaceuticals by customs officers of the 15 EU countries rose 'significantly' in 2002 and the trend continued in 2003, the European Commission has reported.
Seizures of counterfeit pharmaceuticals by customs officers of the 15 EU countries rose 'significantly' in 2002 and the trend continued in 2003, the European Commission has reported.
Pharmaceuticals are not identified separately in statistics on pirated goods, but form the largest part of the 'other goods' category where seizures rose from 42m in 2001 to 59m in 2002.
A Commission official said this was wholly due to counterfeit shipments of the Pfizer anti-impotence drug Viagra that were seized in the UK, Finland, Belgium, and Germany. Viagra has overtaken antimalarial drugs as the most widely counterfeited pharmaceutical item.
Most of the counterfeit products originate in Asia and transit through Europe on their way to final markets in South America and Africa. The official said it was likely that shipments of bogus Viagra and other drugs to these destinations were much higher than indicated because criminals were now avoiding Europe and using alternative routes where inspection and seizure procedures were less rigorous.