New Logo to Help EU Regulators Crack Down on Online Peddlers of Fake Medicines
EU regulators have unveiled a new scheme they say will help European consumers avoid counterfeit or falsified medicines.
The scheme involves the use of a logo, which will appear on the websites of all authorized online pharmacies known to provide authentic medicines.
But beyond just a logo—which authorities implied could be easily faked—the logos will then be linked to the website of each national regulator, which will maintain a list of all legally operating online pharmacies. While the latter could be spoofed, such as by a fake website set up to deliberately deceive consumers, the thinking is that the new scheme will still add a potent layer of protection for savvy consumers.
The logo, which is mandatory under the Falsified Medicines Directive of 2011, will come into effect by August 2014, and must be displayed "clearly" on every page of the pharmacy website, regulators said in a statement.
EU member states will have one year to prepare lists of all legally-operating online pharmacies based in their respective countries.
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) will provide links to all national pharmacy lists, it said in a statement.