Authorities from both the United Kingdom and the United States are warning horse owners not to buy equine medicines from unregulated sites. Horse owners who buy medicines from unregulated websites risk buying counterfeit or unsafe goods.
The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) is introducing a new inspection and logo plan for UK online pharmacies in April 2012, but the scheme will not cover sites based elsewhere and some UK online retailers feel the new plan could disadvantage them.
Iain Booth of website VetUK said: “Our costs will go up and sales go overseas, where the VMD can’t legislate.”
The new inspection and logo plan would not prevent potentially dangerous counterfeit medicines coming in from abroad, he added.
Although the VMD is only aware of two reports of counterfeit veterinary medicines in recent years, representatives believe the new identification plan would reassure online customers.
A spokesman said: “Counterfeiting is a serious issue and we need assistance from anyone using veterinary medicines to report suspect counterfeit products.
“Anyone buying from [non UK] sites risks buying a product that may not work or may be harmful.”
Ben Mayes, president elect of the British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA), said horse owners need to understand the risks of buying equine drugs from anyone other than a vet.
The VMD inspections may include test purchases and physical inspection of premises.
The logo will provide a link to information including the name and qualification of the person running the site.
According to sources at Pfizer, which produces medications for both humans and animals, counterfeiting medicines is on the rise in the United States and around the globe. Counterfeit medicines are dangerous by their very nature – they are not produced under safe manufacturing conditions and they are not inspected by the regulatory authorities. Therefore, it is impossible for consumers to know what ingredients these products actually contain.
In recent years we have seen a spike in counterfeit medicines in the legitimate medicine supply chain. While the United States is fortunate to have a pharmaceutical distribution system that is generally considered to be among the safest in the world, new cases of counterfeit medicines are emerging every day and Pfizer is not exempt from being targeted.
“Counterfeit medicines pose a serious threat to patient health and safety. Patients who unknowingly purchase counterfeit medicines are denied the therapeutic benefit of the medicines their doctors have prescribed.
Counterfeits pose a further risk because they may contain ingredients that are actually harmful.
A number of factors have contributed to this rise in criminal counterfeiting activity. Included among them are the growing involvement in the medicine supply chain of under-regulated wholesalers and repackagers, the proliferation of internet pharmacies, advancements in technology that make it easier for criminals to make counterfeit medicines, the increased importation of medicines from Canada and other countries, and the relatively small risk and penalty faced by counterfeiters.
Pfizer believes that there is no higher priority than ensuring that consumers have safe and effective medicines. To realize this goal, both industry and regulators must work cooperatively around the globe to fight counterfeiting and secure the integrity of the pharmaceutical supply chain.
Pfizer has a team of experts who constantly assess new and existing technologies to identify those that will make it more difficult for those who counterfeit medications to make convincing copies, and for patients and healthcare providers including veterinarians to distinguish authentic from counterfeit Pfizer medicines.
Pfizer has also created a diversified international team to rapidly address product integrity issues as they arise and work proactively to stop them from occurring. The team has focused on putting into place business practices designed to protect patient health, increase cooperation with law enforcement agencies to prosecute counterfeiters, and promote public policy that will help eliminate counterfeiting