An EU logo will steer consumers towards approved e-pharmacies and away from illegal ones if the EU follows the lead of its environment and public health committee.
The committee has backed new measures against the illegal sale of medicines over the internet, approving by an overwhelming majority a report by Portuguese MEP Marisa Matias.
The European Union is cracking down on the sale of fake online medicines as part of a regulatory overhaul of the pharmaceutical sector. MEPs are insisting on legislating for Internet sales of medicines, citing this as a conspicuous failing in the original directive proposed by the European Commission in 2008. The committee also decided to beef up rules governing the pharmaceutical supply chain.
Matias said her report had refocused the original proposal towards public health and protecting consumers from dangerous products. She hailed the new clauses on internet medicines as a major breakthrough. ‘Without our amendments, the Internet would have operated as the 'Trojan horse' for fake medicines. We can not leave the largest gateway for counterfeit drugs in Europe out of this legislation,’ she said.
Matias drew a distinction between legal and illegal online pharmacies, calling for approved e-pharmacies to carry a new EU logo. These could be listed in a user-friendly database and public awareness campaigns could help explain the risks of buying from unaccredited pharmacies.
Her report, unlike the Commission proposal, also addresses the control and distribution of falsified medicines to third countries. ‘It is difficult to explain why we have stringent provisions for medicines that enter the European market but no provisions for medicines which are exported to third countries in Africa, South America or Asia,’ Matias said.
The 15 compromise amendments made the directive ‘stricter and stronger,’ she said, adding that the almost unanimous support at committee level will strengthen the Parliament's hand in negotiating with national governments.
However, proposed new safety features on medicine packs such as seals or serial numbers could cause problems for the generic medicines industry and may be "waived", subject to an assessment by the European Commission.
MEPs also want the Commission to assess after four years whether these requirements should be extended to non-prescription medicines.
