EU Commission introduces logo to ensure consumer safety in online pharmacies
More and more medicines are being bought online in Europe; how can you tell if an online pharmacy is reputable and safe? Today, the Commission adopts an implementing regulation under the Falsified Medicines Directive (Directive 2011/62/EU) that establishes a common logo for online pharmacies and the technical requirements to verify the authenticity of the same. The logo will be available with all its features from the second half of 2015.Tonio Borg, EU Commissioner for Health, said, "Consumers need to be aware that when they buy medicines online, they risk getting counterfeits if they do not order from an officially authorized distributor. Counterfeit drugs are ineffective at best, but can also be harmful or even deadly. To ensure consumer safety, the Commission has designed a common logo for online pharmacies." What does the new logo look like?
This is the logo you should look for on an online pharmacy's homepage in the future. In the rectangle halfway up on the left, the flag of the EU country where the online pharmacy is located will appear. The text will appear in the official language of that country.
How does the logo work?First, look for the logo on the website through which you want to buy medicines and click on it. This should redirect you to the website of the national competent authority, where you will find a list of all authorized online pharmacies or other authorized drug distributors. Check to see if the pharmacy is listed there. If it is, you can proceed with your purchase. If the pharmacy is not listed there, do not buy from this website, but choose one of the approved distributors listed by your national authority.When will the logo be available?The regulation should go into effect in the next four to six weeks. Member states will then have one year to prepare for its application. The European Commission is providing a communication guide to national authorities to assist them with national awareness campaigns that must be conducted under the Falsified Medicines Directive.More information:
More information on falsified medicines:
http://ec.europa.eu/health/human-use/falsified_medicines/index_en.htm
Queries (technical): Dr. Christoph Baumgärtel, Tel.: 050555/36004 E-mail: christoph.baumgaertel@ages.at Queries (for media): Communications Management, Tel.: 050555/25000 E-mail: presse@ages.at
