Stay on top: don't buy fake medicines

Don’t fund organised crime or harm yourself by buying fake medicines

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Fake medicines traded in the EU are on the rise. That’s why EUIPO, EMA and Europol have come together to raise awareness about this issue and how we work to protect people against this threat. The crime area inflicts significant costs for the health and social care systems of the EU, as well as alarming effects on public health.

Purchasing fake medicines:

  • pays criminals
  • risks your health
  • undermines the economy

Fake medicines are made by real criminals. It may seem like a convenient choice to quickly buy medicines online, but these medicines can be counterfeited in underground laboratories without any regulation or safety measures in place. Organised criminal groups are behind many websites selling fake medicines. These criminal networks are being propped up by your money, which ends up funding organised crime and threatening our economy. 

Stay on top and buy online safely.

What is Europol doing to combat fake medicines?

Operation Shield

Europol’s global operation SHIELD brings law enforcement together with judicial, customs, medicines and anti-doping authorities from 30 countries across three continents in a global effort against the trafficking of counterfeit and misused medicines and illicit doping substances.

Investigations under Operation SHIELD reveal that the trade in illicit medicines is on the rise. There is an increasing pattern of large-scale trafficking; a highly lucrative area for organised crime, which in turn incentivises more criminal groups to enter the trade. Authorities have seen counterfeit medications re-enter the legal supply chain through the parallel market.

The 2024 edition of Operation SHIELD led to the following preliminary results:

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418 individuals arrested, charged, or under prosecution 

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Total seizures worth above EUR 11.1 million

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52 organised crime groups investigated 
 

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4 083 anti-doping controls carried out

The threat of pharmaceutical crime in the EU and beyond

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This Europol report details the latest trends within pharmaceutical crime in the EU and beyond. It examines the public health and financial impact of fake medicines, alongside other issues such as the role of social media as a marketplace and the misuse of prescription and over-the-counter medicines.

The report forms part of the awareness raising efforts by EU Agencies Europol, the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) to encourage people to be aware of the risks associated with buying fake medicines.  

How to buy medicines safely

Counterfeit products created in underground laboratories do not produce the desired effect; patients risk not only remaining untreated, but subjecting themselves to serious and irreversible harm. Fake medicines can cause serious health issues or be potentially lethal.

To buy medicines safely, follow these steps:

  1. When buying over the internet, only use registered online pharmacies.
  2. Check that the online pharmacy you are using has the common logo.
  3. Click on the logo and confirm that the online pharmacy is listed on the national authority website.
  4. Do not continue with your purchase if the retailer is not on the list.
  5. Remember that only national flags of an EU Member State, as well as those of Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein can be displayed in the logo.
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Agencies involved

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Europol facilitates international collaboration through its Operation SHIELD, acting as a hub for intelligence-sharing between law enforcement agencies across Europe and beyond.

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The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) supports Europol on Operation SHIELD in the fight against illicit medicines and doping substances by safeguarding private industry partners’ intellectual property rights. 

Discover the implications on intellectual property and businesses via EUIPO’s website.

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The European Medicines Agency (EMA) coordinates the exchange of information on falsified medicine notifications related to centrally authorised medicines, providing information to the EU Member States. 

Find out more about the health risks via EMA’s website.

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