Crackdown planned on fake drugs trafficking
The UAE government is taking serious measures to curb circulation of counterfeit medicines. The move is a sequel to UAE being cited as one of the major gateways for the trafficking in fake medicines to Europe and Africa, said a senior medical expert.
“Health authorities have made significant progress in fighting fake drugs. This initiative has been prompted by the country being cited as one of the most important transit countries for fake medicines from Asia to Europe and Africa,” said Dr. Mohammed Abu Elkhair, Adviser to the Drugs and Medical Products Department in the Health Authority, Abu Dhabi (HAAD).
Dr Elkhair attributed the reason to the “existence of free zones and high flow of cash which are widely considered to promote this traffic.”
Talking to Khaleej Times during a Press conference to announce the launch of a conference on counterfeit drugs, Dr Elkhair said the setting up of a national pharmaco-vigilance infrastructure by HAAD, called the Drug Poisoning and Information Centre (DPIC), is one of the remarkable strides made by the Authority to curb fake medicines.
The two-day conference, commencing on November 19, has been organised in cooperation with the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Among other things, the pharmaco-vigilance infrastructure involves building a Quality Control Laboratory to identify fake drugs, devising effective drug policies and introducing a drug quality system as part of a post-marketing surveillance programme, said Dr Elkhair.
“It also caters for upgrading and expanding the drugs recall system enforced by the Authority, and actively encouraging health professionals and patients to report any irregularity in drug quality,” he added.
He said prevalence of counterfeit drugs appears to be increasing and prompt cooperation should be there among drug companies, international organisations and government entities concerned with trade, health and customs.
Quoting WHO statistics, he said up to 25 per cent of medicines sold in poor countries and 10 per cent of all medicines marketed in industrial countries are counterfeit.
“Some estimates place the annual revenues generated from counterfeit sales at over $35 billion globally,” he said.
Elaborating on the conference, Dr Elkhair said he was hopeful the conference will provide a unique opportunity to review international strategies and update participants on global progress in combating counterfeit medicines. Source
“Health authorities have made significant progress in fighting fake drugs. This initiative has been prompted by the country being cited as one of the most important transit countries for fake medicines from Asia to Europe and Africa,” said Dr. Mohammed Abu Elkhair, Adviser to the Drugs and Medical Products Department in the Health Authority, Abu Dhabi (HAAD).
Dr Elkhair attributed the reason to the “existence of free zones and high flow of cash which are widely considered to promote this traffic.”
Talking to Khaleej Times during a Press conference to announce the launch of a conference on counterfeit drugs, Dr Elkhair said the setting up of a national pharmaco-vigilance infrastructure by HAAD, called the Drug Poisoning and Information Centre (DPIC), is one of the remarkable strides made by the Authority to curb fake medicines.
The two-day conference, commencing on November 19, has been organised in cooperation with the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Among other things, the pharmaco-vigilance infrastructure involves building a Quality Control Laboratory to identify fake drugs, devising effective drug policies and introducing a drug quality system as part of a post-marketing surveillance programme, said Dr Elkhair.
“It also caters for upgrading and expanding the drugs recall system enforced by the Authority, and actively encouraging health professionals and patients to report any irregularity in drug quality,” he added.
He said prevalence of counterfeit drugs appears to be increasing and prompt cooperation should be there among drug companies, international organisations and government entities concerned with trade, health and customs.
Quoting WHO statistics, he said up to 25 per cent of medicines sold in poor countries and 10 per cent of all medicines marketed in industrial countries are counterfeit.
“Some estimates place the annual revenues generated from counterfeit sales at over $35 billion globally,” he said.
Elaborating on the conference, Dr Elkhair said he was hopeful the conference will provide a unique opportunity to review international strategies and update participants on global progress in combating counterfeit medicines. Source
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