HALMED participates in the “Pangea VII” operation against falsified medicines
01.10.2014
The Agency for Medicinal Products and Medical Devices (HALMED) participated in the international operation "Pangea VII” headed and co-ordinated by Interpol and carried out by the police, customs, national agencies and other competent authorities for medicines throughout the world with the aim to fight the commerce of falsified medicines. According to the final report released in September, in the action carried out from 13 to 20 May 2014 in 113 countries, 11863 internet pages linked with the sale of illicit and falsified pharmaceutical products were discovered and stopped, 434 people involved in these illegal actions were arrested and 9.6 million of potentially dangerous medicines worth around 196 million kuna were ceased.
According to an investigation by the World Health Organisation, it is estimated that 50% of all medicines sold via internet is falsified. The aim of the "Pangea VII” operation is raising awareness on the danger of online sale of medicines and interruption of illegal internet sale of medicines.
There has been no falsified medicines reported in authorised supply chains in Croatia, or in the legal distribution network. HALMED reminds hereby Croatian citizens that medicines, due to safety reasons in the first place, should be purchased solely at the authorised sales points.
