The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is concerned about the increase in the number of counterfeit medicines discovered in the United Kingdom regulated supply chain. Since August 2004, counterfeit medicines have been discovered in the UK regulated supply chain and recalled on nine occasions. In addition, counterfeit medicines have been discovered at wholesale-dealer level on five separate occasions.
Although this represents a very small percentage of medicines supplied nationally, MHRA is developing a strategy which will address the risks to patient safety posed by counterfeit medicines and introduce measures to minimise the risk of counterfeit products reaching patients through both the regulated and unregulated supply chains. The strategy will be published later this year.