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Research published today examining consumer opinions on counterfeit drugs reveals that five per cent of consumers across five European countries suspect they have received a counterfeit prescription drug and an alarming one per cent believe they definitely have. This means that as many as 12.8 million consumers could have been exposed to counterfeit drugs in those markets.
According to research carried out by ICM on behalf of patient safety communications company Aegate, awareness of the phony drugs market is moderate in Europe with 61 per cent saying they know prescription drugs can be faked. As a result, 79 per cent of consumers put medicine at the top of their counterfeit concern list, far ahead of any other product. Designer clothes and toys, which were the next concerns, fall far behind with four per cent each.
Consumers see the fake drugs trade to be largely the responsibility of medicines suppliers, with 45 per cent saying the manufacturer is responsible for the fake prescription medicine trade. Thirty-one per cent say it’s the fault of the wholesaler and 30 per cent the pharmacist.
Eighty five per cent of consumers said they would feel more confident if medicine packs contained a safety feature that enabled the pharmacist to verify the medicine is genuine before dispensing. In addition, 90 per cent said they would not buy drugs online if pharmacies in Europe had a tool to authenticate prescription drugs.
Consumers also want tougher punishments. Over two thirds of consumers believe the penalty for counterfeiting medicines should be between five and 15 years in prison, despite the current penalties being far lower – while a fifth feel life in prison is justified.
“It is very different buying medication online to buying an item of clothing” commented Gary Noon, CEO, Aegate. “Patients need to be encouraged to seek medicines from their high street pharmacist who is trained and qualified to assess their medical needs as well as the medicine. Patient safety should be the industry’s priority from the regulator, to the manufacturer and to the pharmacist and it is clear we need to ensure the pharmacist has the right tools in place to carry out such an important task.”
Local country data is available
For further information:
Will Campbell, Band & Brown Communications
T: +44 20 7419 6975
Submitted by NeonDrum on behalf of Aegate
Nicky Denovan / T: +44 7747 017654.
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