At a time when the Covid-19 pandemic poses unprecedented challenges to the health sector, the Council of Europe reminds governments that they can rely on the MEDICRIME Convention to combat the counterfeiting or falsification of medicines and medical products.
In an opinion published on Wednesday, the MEDICRIME Committee warned of the increased risk and recommended : - monitoring of online platforms offering medical products; - the assignment of staff to detect and stop trafficking in falsified products; - the establishment of measures to prevent unauthorised diversion of essential products in order to avoid the exploitation of shortages for criminal purposes; - cooperation between national agencies and services to prevent the introduction of falsified products into health services; - the intensification of national and international cooperation in order to gather evidence of the criminal nature of the offences committed during the pandemic; the obligation to guarantee the rights of victims, in particular the right to be informed of the effects of falsified medical products.
As the only international treaty on the subject, the 'Convention on the counterfeiting of medical products and similar crimes involving threats to public health' (MEDICRIME Convention 2011) promotes national and international cooperation between health, police and customs authorities and involving the private sector. It aims at the effective prosecution of offenders in court and the protection of victims and witnesses. (Original version in French by Véronique Leblanc)