Fake drugs top of agenda in Russia

A Council of Europe conference held in Moscow, Russia, has heard from the host government that it is "stepping up its own battle to sweep fake drugs off the market," according to a report in the medical journal, The Lancet. Critics in the local drug industry complain that the measures introduced are "misguided."

10% of local drugs are thought to be fakes

Fake drug production in Russia is estimated to be worth about $300.0 million per year, with up to one-tenth of all locally manufactured products affected. A recent crackdown by the Russian Federal Agency for Monitoring Health and Social Development (Roszdravnadzor) has apparently made significant inroads into the problem, including the revoking of production licenses for facilities found to be involved in drug counterfeiting.