Warning on counterfeit medicines
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Hürriyet Daily News
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Temmuz 02, 2009 00:00
ISTANBUL - The Turkish government needs to campaign more actively to inform the public on the dangers of counterfeit pharmaceuticals, Cengiz Gümüştüs, managing director of Esfor Security Consulting, said Wednesday.
Speaking at the meeting of the Association of Research-Based Pharmaceutical Companies, Gümüştüs said Turkey is the fourth largest market for counterfeit medicines in the world in terms of the number of arrests, which totaled 68 in 2008. The countries with a serious problems in counterfeit pharmaceuticals are China, South Korea and Brazil.
"Risky sources to buy medicines in Turkey include the Internet, barters between pharmacies, as well as street salesmen in places like Istanbul’s Tahtakale, where it is possible to find all kinds of counterfeit pharmaceuticals. Also, border areas near Georgia, Syria and Iran are hotspots for counterfeit products."
The number of incidents caused by counterfeit medicine totaled 1,834 around the world in 2008. The most recent raid in Turkey against counterfeit pharmaceuticals took place in Istanbul in April, which led to 64 arrests and the confiscation of 184,000 boxes of counterfeit products. The value of the confiscated products is estimated at 132 million Turkish Liras.
"Risky sources to buy medicines in Turkey include the Internet, barters between pharmacies, as well as street salesmen in places like Istanbul’s Tahtakale, where it is possible to find all kinds of counterfeit pharmaceuticals. Also, border areas near Georgia, Syria and Iran are hotspots for counterfeit products."
The number of incidents caused by counterfeit medicine totaled 1,834 around the world in 2008. The most recent raid in Turkey against counterfeit pharmaceuticals took place in Istanbul in April, which led to 64 arrests and the confiscation of 184,000 boxes of counterfeit products. The value of the confiscated products is estimated at 132 million Turkish Liras.