Legal Updates - Counterfeit Medicines

The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency MHRA() enforcement officers recently reported the seizure of medicines with value in excess of £3m. It appears that the majority of the medicines originated from India and China.

The MHRA closed down more than 1,600 websites that were illegally advertising and selling falsified, counterfeit or unlicensed medicines. The MHRA reported that its enforcement, officers seized large quantities of medicines such as erectile dysfunction medicines, slimming products, sleeping pills and antidepressants.

The MHRA also removed around 19,000 online videos illegally advertising such medicines.
 

In order to correctly identify and enforce action against illegal operators, the MHRA collaborated with social media and auction sites such as Youtube, Amazon and eBay as well as internet domain registries, credit card companies and Interpol to close down websites and their accounts in order to protect patients from the avoidable harm of dangerous medicines.

For any queries in relation to the distance selling regulations or for advice on how to draft or revise your website terms and conditions or terms and conditions of sale to comply with the new consumer law, you may contact us by email [email protected]. 

Visit consumer regulatory law page.

© RT COOPERS, 2015. This Briefing Note does not provide a comprehensive or complete statement of the law relating to the issues discussed nor does it constitute legal advice. It is intended only to highlight general issues. Specialist legal advice should always be sought in relation to particular circumstances.