During a large Interpol operation targeting e-commerce, 9.4 million potentially fatal counterfeit drugs were seized. Authorized sites are easily identifiable.
The police organization “Interpol” carried out a giant operation in 111 countries, and seized 9.4 million counterfeit drugs, some potentially fatal. Carried out from May 13 to 20, “PANGEA VII” resulted in the opening of 1,235 investigations, the removal of 19,000 advertisements for illicit drugs and the closure of more than 10,600 internet sales sites. Finally, the operation resulted in 237 arrests around the world and the seizure of potentially dangerous drugs worth more than $ 36 million.
In this assessment, France is unfortunately not spared. In France, customs seized nearly 594,000 contraband and counterfeit drugs, including more than 486,400 in Roissy alone. Cyberdouane took part in the operation to detect illegal online pharmacies offering fake drugs. This year, this cell in particular tackled the “cybersquatting” of legal sites referring to illicit pharmacies, thus misleading the consumer on the real origin of the drugs. Faced with this risk, why actor tells you how to recognize authorized sites.
The virtual extension of a physical pharmacy
On July 12, 2012, the decree governing the sale of drugs on the Internet in France came into force. And this electronic commerce is not open to everyone. According to the text, the site is the “virtual extension” of a physical pharmacy itself authorized. Medicines are sold via sites published by a pharmacy. This provision prevents, for example, large-scale distribution from investing in this market. Pharmacists must therefore obtain authorization from the regional health agencies (ARS) and make a declaration to the Order of Pharmacists.
Instructions available online and printable
To make sure you are on a legal site, you can search for “legal” notices. Regarding the structure of the site, the pharmacist must indeed clearly show the name and address of the approved pharmacy for sale on the web, so that the customer knows in which physical pharmacy he is supplied. With regard to products sold on the Internet, they must be presented “in an objective and not misleading manner”.
Concretely, only the following elements must appear on the presentation of the medicinal product: its trade name, the therapeutic indication (s), the galenic form (sachets, tablets, capsules, etc.), the number of dosage units and the price. For the leaflets attached to medicinal products concerning in particular the precautions for use and the dosage, they are available online and printable.
The ban on discussion forums
Finally, the judgment prohibits discussion forums on the website. On the other hand, it stipulates that it must be designed so that “no drug can be sold without a relevant interactive exchange being made possible before the validation of the order”. The pharmacist must therefore answer any additional questions that the patient may ask. To ensure that you do not expose yourself to counterfeiting, you can therefore ask the pharmacist a question …
Today, only 147 French pharmacies have launched their authorized online site, according to theOrder pharmacists. This is little compared to the 22,482 pharmacies in France.
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