Countering the counterfeits

Statistics released by the European Commission at the beginning of June 2007 suggest that there has been a massive increase in counterfeit pharmaceuticals being traded within Europe. Seizures of counterfeit items totalled 2.5 million in 2006 compared with 0.5 million in 2005.

To address this, the recently published Orange Guide points to the growing problem of counterfeits and the importance of Good Distribution Practice (GDP) in minimising the risk of counterfeits finding their way to market.

RSSL Pharma has responded to the counterfeit challenge by investing in new analytical resources. As well as performing chemical analysis of pharmaceutical products to assess authenticity and the presence or absence of actives, RSSL Pharma also has expertise in examining packaging to expose the fakes. Using sophisticated forensic techniques RSSL Pharma can determine whether the papers, adhesives, inks and printers used on packaging are authentic or counterfeit copies. The training arm of RSSL Pharma has already launched a new course in GDP, with special emphasis on countering the counterfeiters.

"The pharmaceutical industry is at risk from counterfeiters, but it is not powerless to reduce those risks," comments Philip Payne of RSSL Pharma. "The key to prevention lies within the supply chain, which is why GDP is so important. If the counterfeiters have no route to market, then there's nothing for them to gain. But where there are breaches, expert analytical assistance can help to identify an instance of counterfeiting and may even help provide evidence that can lead to a prosecution."