To contain the spread of the coronavirus, safe protective equipment and genuine testing that meets the specified standards are essential. It must be possible to clearly and quickly distinguish original products from counterfeits. New VOID tapes from Securikett secure outer packaging during transport.
Where demand is greater than supply, product fraudsters are attracted. The sale of a counterfeit drug is said to be 20,000 times more profitable than the sale of narcotics on the street. And the penalties for placing life-threatening counterfeits on the market are unfortunately low compared to other criminal offences. Nobody wants to imagine what would happen if counterfeit protective equipment or counterfeit tests that deliver false or unreliable results were to be used.
ASOP EU study clarifies
It is important to dispel the myth that it is only lifestyle medicines that are bought online. As a study by the Alliance for Safe Online Pharmacy in the EU (ASOP EU) shows, every medicine is available online. The non-profit organisation for patient safety is committed to making the internet a safe place to buy legal medicines.
Anyone wishing to sell medicines „at a distance“ must register with their national health authority. If the medicines are also sold over the Internet, a logo must be clearly visible on each subpage of the supplier's website, which is described as the common logo. The national flag is then adapted to the country of registration or authorisation.
Clicking on it links to a page that proves that the supplier is registered. Each Member State is legally obliged to inform the public about the purpose of this common logo and to explain what exactly constitutes a falsified medicinal product.
ASOP EU has held a number of meetings with Member States to discuss the various publicity campaigns. Unfortunately, many Member States still do not organise public information campaigns. Now is the time for governments to create awareness-raising campaigns.
Effective control mechanisms thanks to VOID tapes
In order to protect consumers and increase the security and integrity of legitimate supply chains, directives have been issued in numerous countries around the world in recent years. These allow for the authentication of individual serialised prescription medicines. In addition, these regulations often insist on proof of tampering on the packaging to ensure double protection.
In Europe, the Falsified Medicines Directive (FMD) has stipulated since February 2019 that every pack must be labelled with a unique identifier and a tamper-proof seal. When dispensing, the pharmacist checks the pack for authenticity and ensures that the tamper-evident seal has not been damaged. Clear changes in the colour and pattern that appear when the tamper-evident seal is removed are also easy for consumers to recognise. This so-called VOID effect is irreversible.
New at SECURICY CHAINE are now VOID tapes, which work on the same principle as the labels and protect the outer and transport packaging on the way from the manufacturer to the pharmacist (or, for example, for direct orders via the Internet to the consumer).
Good labelling, proof of originality and tamper protection on the packaging as well as observing secure distribution channels are essential to protect manufacturers and users alike from illegal counterfeiting.
Transparent processes
Recently, the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) produced a report entitled „Illicit Trade in Counterfeit Pharmaceutical Products“. On its publication, Mike Isles, Managing Director of ASOP EU, said: „Demand is fuelling supply. With medicines being sold on social media and 96 per cent of the 35,000 websites selling medicines worldwide operating illegally, this is a problem that needs urgent solutions. There is no magic bullet, so many measures are needed and, above all, coordination between a wide range of partners from the public and private sectors. With an estimated 130 million people potentially buying medicines across Europe, there is an urgent need for action. This is particularly important as we see false and fraudulent promises and misleading advertising regarding potential treatments or cures for COVID-19, as well as falsified tests and medical devices.“
When users scan products for authentication or other attractive applications, valuable statistical information is stored in CODIKETT, the product identification system from SECURICY CHAINE, collected. Rights holders receive early warning indicators if, for example, products deviate from their target markets, creating a gap for counterfeit products to enter the supply chain.
[infotext icon]SECURIKETT, an Austrian company with an international reach, has been making valuable contributions in the fight against counterfeit products for almost 20 years. In addition to the development and production of tamper protection for packaging, the innovative company also focuses on the digital traceability of products. This makes it possible to detect and prevent counterfeits from entering the supply chain. [/infotext]
