EU to review drug rules over counterfeit fears

The European Commission has launched a series of studies to assess the balance between deregulation in the pharmaceutical trade within the European Union and the threat of counterfeit prescription drugs reaching patients. Gunter Verheugen, the EU Commissioner for Enterprise and Industry policy, recently participated in a European Parliament symposium on the issue of fake drugs (see Monitor, pages 24-25). He is expected to report back next year.

The main target of any new regulations looks likely to be the EU's legal parallel trade sector. Industry sources claim this is worth 3%-4% of the total EU drug market.