Medicrime Convention Against Counterfeit Drugs To Enter Into Force In 2016

The ratification of an international convention to fight counterfeit of medical products by Guinea has unlocked the entry into force of the instrument, now set to happen on 1 January 2016.

The Council of Europe Convention on the Counterfeiting of Medical Products and Similar Crimes involving threats to Public Health (Medicrime Convention) was adopted in December 2010. It has been signed by 24 countries and ratified by five of them: Hungary, Moldova, Spain, Ukraine, and lately Guinea on 24 September.

The convention is a binding international instrument. According to the Council of Europe, “Incidences of counterfeit medical products and similar crimes undermine public trust in healthcare systems and authorities’ surveillance …”

The Council of Europe (COE) is a pan-European political organisation including 47 member states in Europe.

The COE has published a webpage on the Medicrime Convention, here. But a fuller understanding of how this agreement will impact counterfeiting remains to be seen.

Global pharmaceutical associations welcomed the entry into force of the Medicrime Convention.

According to a press release [pdf], Eduardo Pisani, director general of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers & Associations (IFPMA) said, “The fight against counterfeit medicines is gaining momentum. Strong legislative frameworks are necessary to combat counterfeit medicines and Medicrime is a unique tool that can curb this problem.”

“Counterfeit medicines can have the wrong active ingredients, the wrong dose or dangerous substances and could result in drug resistance, further illness or disability or even death,” according to the release.

This definition has been regularly contested by civil society since a “counterfeit” product generally relates to an intellectual property infringement rather than a sub-standard product.

 

Image Credits: drugs.com