| United nation is tool for pharmaceutical companies Original Source Link: (May no longer be active) http://www.upi.com/InternationalIntelligence/view.php?StoryID=20060215-050742-7649rhttp://www.upi.com/InternationalIntelligence/view.php?StoryID=20060215-050742-7649r
2/15/2006 6:34:00 PM -0500
Intl. Intelligence U.N. aims to combat counterfeit drug sales ROME, Feb. 15 (UPI) -- The World Health Organization wants to create a global task force to curb the sale of lucrative counterfeit drugs worldwide, the U.N. agency said Wednesday.
Pharmaceutical companies, regulators and consumer groups will discuss ways to face the growing epidemic at a three-day meeting organized by the WHO starting Thursday in Rome.
Global counterfeit drug sales are expected to soar to $75 billion by 2010, said the WHO, who wants to stop the sale of fake drugs because they endanger people's lives. Sick people taking the drugs think they are improving their health and in many cases, the drugs make their condition worse or lead to death.
"People don't die from carrying a fake handbag or wearing a fake T-shirt. They can die from taking a counterfeit medicine," said Howard Zucker, assistant director general for Health Technology and Pharmaceuticals at the WHO. "International police action against the factories and distribution networks should be as uncompromising as that applied to the pursuit of narcotic smuggling."
Every country is involved in counterfeit medicines, drugs whose identity or source are deliberately and fraudulently mislabeled. These illicit drugs are estimated to make up 10 percent of the global medicines trade, said the WHO.
The proposed task force would focus on legislation, law enforcement activities, trade, risk communications and innovative technology solutions, said the U.N. agency.
The WHO also wants to expand its Rapid Alert System communication network. Set up last year, it is the world's first web-based system for tracking the activities of drug traders and relaying the drug distribution information to authorities. The WHO wants to share the information nationally and internationally among drug regulators, customs and police organizations, pharmaceutical companies, non-governmental organizations and consumer groups.
"Countries should think about ways to make the necessary technological, legislative and financial adjustments as quickly as possible to guarantee the availability of quality assured essential drugs," said Zucker.
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