Published: 1 September 2016
Publications
Dangers of Purchasing Online Medicines (Operation PANGEA IX)
Prescriber Update 37(3): 39
September 2016
Medsafe recently participated with New Zealand Customs in the annual international initiative known as Operation PANGEA, to highlight the illicit trade in medicines around the world. The results highlight the continuing importation of potentially substandard medicines into New Zealand.
Operation PANGEA IX was an International Internet Week of Action led by INTERPOL (30 May to 7 June 2016) involving 103 countries. It feeds data from the ongoing New Zealand border control programme into the worldwide effort aimed at disrupting criminal networks trading in illegal counterfeit and poor quality medicines.
As a result of Operation PANGEA IX, 173 packages were held requiring further investigation, slightly less than last year.
These parcels originated from 31 countries around the world and were stopped because they contained prescription medicines, were not labelled or were known to contain undeclared or hidden ingredients. The most common sources of these products were India (84), China (14) and the United Kingdom (14).
Medicines for erectile dysfunction were the most common products examined by Medsafe (3652 individual tablets). Medicines for the treatment of infections, heart disease and pain were the next most prevalent.
Medicines purchased online present a risk to consumers because their quality, safety and effectiveness cannot be guaranteed and they may not be appropriate for the intended recipient.
It is important to stress that although a website may seem to be legitimate and established in a well-regulated country, this may not always be the case.
Medsafe routinely receives packages from New Zealand Customs that are suspected to contain medicines, with thousands of interceptions each year being referred for assessment.
Prescription medicines are referred to Medsafe by New Zealand Customs to ensure compliance with New Zealand law. Most prescription medicines Medsafe detains are held until the person importing them provides a valid authorisation from their doctor indicating that it is acceptable for them to use the medicine. If this does not occur the medicines are destroyed.
Healthcare professionals can help reduce the number of fake and adulterated medicines that enter New Zealand by doing the following.
- Be wary if a patient requests a prescription for medicine purchased over the internet. Criminals go to great lengths to make their websites appear genuine. It is common for online businesses to purport to be reputable online pharmacies when they are not. Some pretend to be located in New Zealand.
- Consider the following questions before providing a prescription
for a medicine obtained from an online business.
- Is the patient under your care?
- Is the medicine, dose and quantity appropriate for the patient?
- Is the patient aware of the risks of using medicines purchased over the internet?
- Are you willing to take responsibility for prescribing your patient an unapproved medicine that is likely to be of unknown quality and origin?
- Are you satisfied that your actions will meet ethical standards?
- If a patient presents with unexplained symptoms after taking any medicines or dietary supplements, consider that the patient may have used a medicine or dietary supplement purchased over the internet.
- Report adverse reactions to the Centre for Adverse Reactions Monitoring (CARM). Reports can be submitted on paper or electronically (https://nzphvc.otago.ac.nz/).
- Report any suspicions you have that a product is substandard, adulterated or fake to Medsafe (recalls@health.govt.nz).
For more information on Operation PANGEA IX visit www.interpol.int/News-and-media/News/2016/N2016-076
