New MHRA strategy to address counterfeits
Patient safety is the top priority of an investigation into the distribution of counterfeit Casodex, Zyprexa and Plavix, the then health minister Caroline Flint told MPs last month.
She said that the number of patients
affected will not be known until the probe by the Medicines and Healthcare
products Regulatory Agency is completed, although there have been several
class 1 recalls.
Ms Flint added that a new strategy is to be be published later this year
by the MHRA to address the risks to patient safety from counterfeit medicines.
The aim will be to minimise the risk of bogus products reaching patients
through both the regulated and unregulated supply chains.
“This strategy is being reviewed to take into account the recent
incidents and subsequent intelligence gathered from industry and our
international
counterparts,” she said. “The European Commission has recognised
that counterfeiting is a growing problem within the EU and has undertaken
a study to identify any legislative and regulatory weaknesses with a
view to exploring policy
options.”
Counterfeits
recovery Figures released by the MHRA this
week show that only a small proportion of the counterfeit medicines
that recently reached the legitimate
supply chain were recovered when recalls were issued.
The 2004 recall of Reductil
(sibutramine) recovered 61 of the 1,000 packs known to have been sold. In
2005, a recall of Lipitor (atorvastatin) led to 359 of 2,523 counterfeit
packs being
recovered, while the 2006 recall of the same product led to seven out of
1,867 counterfeit packs being recovered. |
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The
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