Counterfeit medicines is creating a growing threat to patients in every part of the world, with increasing numbers in Europe and the USA. Customs are finding more and more illegally produced drugs in day-to-day life. Medicines are increasingly sold via the Internet making it much easier to put counterfeits into spread.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that up to 1 per cent of medicines available in the developed world are likely to be counterfeit. This figure rises to 10 per cent globally, but in some areas of Asia, Africa and Latin America counterfeit goods can form up to 30 per cent of the market. The wake-up call is that counterfeits REMAIN a SERIOUS THREAT AND GETTING BIGGER while the industry and various stakeholders are mobilizing on their sides for a serious battle.
4th Annual Pharma Anti-Counterfeiting 2015 “Competencies to Combat Counterfeits” which was held in London on September 8-9, gathered international organizations, government bodies, leading pharmaceutical companies, experts in the area of anti-counterfeiting, solution and technology providers to discuss the in-depth insights into the strategies and cutting edge technologies for pharmaceutical anti-counterfeiting.