The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 279 No 7459 p19
7 July 2007

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• Supervision (2)
• Community pharmacy (2)
• Medication errors
• Agenda for change
• White paper
• Counterfeit medicines
• Recalls
• Pfizer (4)

Letters to the Editor

Counterfeit medicines

A major risk to public health

From Mr J. D. R. Jolley, FRPharmS

Despite four class 1 drug alerts in the past month resulting from counterfeit medicines entering the UK medicines supply chain, Ian Brownlee, chairman of the British Association of Pharmaceutical Wholesalers, claimed at its annual conference that the system of medicines distribution works well (PJ, 16 June, p713).

The risk to public health represented by counterfeit medicines must not be underestimated, and the essential controls on suppliers form a key part of the revised wholesale distribution regulations that were introduced in October 2005. So how can counterfeit medicines get into our supply chain? It can only be due to a failure in control, such as pharmacy supervision, quality management systems and appropriate auditing of medicines from manufacturing sites.

I am informed that over 70 per cent of medicines are supplied direct to NHS trusts, a precaution which can assure the origin of supply and safeguard quality, and may be the answer if the controls necessary cannot be achieved.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society has taken the initiative to accredit internet pharmacy suppliers and provide public confidence in those that can demonstrate best practice. If wholesalers that supply medicines into the national supply chain do not take measures to introduce much needed improvements in controls and put their own house in order, perhaps we on the Council should consider the possibility of their registration in order to provide confidence in them.

John Jolley
Member of Council
Royal Pharmaceutical Society

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