Swiss made almost 300 seizures of illegal pharmaceuticals in 2006

Swiss medicines agency Swissmedic seized 287 illegal pharmaceutical imports in 2006 thanks to a new control system developed with the Swiss customs service.

Most of these products were anabolic steroids and doping products (20%), diet pills (18%), impotence drugs (16%) and tranquilisers (8%). Four cases have been prosecuted, according to a Swissmedic statement.

The new system for customs inspection of medicines came into effect only last year. It focuses on controlling high-risk packages, using factors such as the country of origin, the kind of sender, package size and description of contents. Products seized and observations made are noted in a database.

'Before, controls were random. Since 2006, we have been separating out (packages) for the pharmaceutical industry, medical professionals and hospitals, which have their own inspection services,' a Swissmedic spokesman explained. 'We now carry out controls on only a fifth of the volume we used to. But our work is much more effective and our searches are better focused.'

He cited a 2006 campaign for more intensive control of packages from Brazil, which had resulted in three seizures of suspect goods. 'We found out that some Brazilian companies produce diet drugs based on stimulants to speed up the metabolism and tranquilisers to counteract the effect of the stimulants and help sleep. It goes without saying that there is a very high risk of becoming dependent on these products,' he said.

Another campaign launched in 2006 had encouraged controlling heavy metal and pesticide levels in plant extracts for medicinal use from China and India.

Some 40,000 prescription medicines imported into Switzerland every year come from internet orders made without prescriptions - which are therefore illegal - according to Swissmedic estimates. In a fifth of cases, they are products on which patients can become dependent, such as sleeping pills or tranquilisers.

However, Swiss law tolerates the purchase of products to meet individual needs for a maximum of one month. Any further supplies are destroyed. Orders made for products intended for resale result in lawsuits for illegal importation.