Brussels, 24/06/2014 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 24 June, the European Commission adopted an implementing regulation under the falsified medicinal products directive, in order to make European citizens aware of the risks they run when they buy medicines online. The text brings in a common logo for online pharmacies and defines the technical requirements to guarantee the authenticity of the logo. This will be fully effective by mid-2015. Commissioner for Health Tonio Borg said: “When buying medicines online, consumers must be aware that (…) they run the risk of buying medicines that are falsified. Falsified medicines can be ineffective, harmful or even deadly”. The logo appears on the homepage of online pharmacies with a flag corresponding to the member state in which the pharmacy is established. Clicking on the logo will direct users to the website of the national regulatory authority, which lists all legally operating online pharmacies and other legally authorised retailers of medicines. This will allow consumers to check that the online pharmacy they are planning on buying from is indeed listed and therefore trustworthy. (IL)