title: [Counterfeit and Falsified Drugs: an Overview].
abstract: If the traffic of fake medicines may represent an economic threat for the pharmaceutical industry, it can also be responsible of safety concerns for patients. Despite fake drugs represent a real threat for public health, the intended punishments are until now only based on intellectual property rights. Estimated to generate more than 55 billion euros per year, the traffic of falsified drugs varies from a country to another one. Indeed, the proportion of falsified drugs ranges from 1% in industrialized countries with a regulated and controlled distribution system to 60% of medicines in some developing countries. Currently, the measures developed to limit this traffic concern five main areas: legislation / regulation, cooperation, enforcement, technology and communication. Communication actions should be performed to inform health professionals as the populations about the risks of using drugs purchased outside the legal drug market.
authors.affiliation: CHU Nancy, Laboratoire de Pharmacologie Clinique et Toxicologie, Nancy, France.
authors.forename: Corine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Taverriti-Fortier
authors.affiliation: CHU Nancy, Laboratoire de Pharmacologie Clinique et Toxicologie, Nancy, France.
authors.forename: Elise
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pape
authors.affiliation: CHU Nancy, Laboratoire de Pharmacologie Clinique et Toxicologie, Nancy, France - CHU Nancy, Centre Régional de Pharmacovigilance de Lorraine, Nancy, France - Université de Lorraine, UMR CNRS 7365 IMoPA, Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France.
authors.forename: Julien
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Scala-Bertola
authors.affiliation: CHU Nancy, Centre Régional de Pharmacovigilance de Lorraine, Nancy, France.
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tréchot
authors.affiliation: Université de Lorraine, EA 3452 CITHEFOR, Nancy, France.
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Maincent
authors.affiliation: CHU Nancy, Centre d'Évaluation et d'Information sur la Pharmacodépendance-Addictovigilance, Nancy, France.
authors.forename: Valérie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gibaja
authors.affiliation: CHU Nancy, Laboratoire de Pharmacologie Clinique et Toxicologie, Nancy, France - CHU Nancy, Centre Régional de Pharmacovigilance de Lorraine, Nancy, France - Université de Lorraine, UMR CNRS 7365 IMoPA, Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France.
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gambier
mesh_terms: D058110:Counterfeit Drugs / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000600:supply & distribution; D019049:Developed Countries; D003906:Developing Countries; D004345:Drug Industry; D064423:Drug Trafficking / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005062:European Union; D005602:France; D005607:Fraud / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D006282:Health Personnel; D006801:Humans; D033181:Information Dissemination; D018973:Intellectual Property; D011177:Postal Service; D011634:Public Health; D014944:World Health Organization
chemical_list: D058110:Counterfeit Drugs