Five years on from the adoption of the EU falsified medicines directive (2011/62/EU) and the challenge continues. Here Vincenzo Salvatore, Healthcare and Life Sciences Focus Team, BonelliErede (Milan), looks at the reasoning behind the directive and what the next steps are to achieve the ultimate goal of protecting public health.
Long way to go
The illegal marketing of falsified medicines is constantly increasing and is a serious threat to patients’ health. Falsified medicines should be distinguished from other illegal medicinal products and from products that infringe IP rights: A falsified medicine is commonly defined as a fake medicine that passes itself off as a real, authorised medicine.