Infarma 2016: Pharmacist plays a key role to ensure that no counterfeit medicines reach the patients

Belén Escribano, Head of the Pharmaceutical Inspection and Enforcement Department at the AEMPS, is interested in promoting the legal sale of medicinal products over the internet, in order to corner the illegal sales. During her speech in “Infarma 2016” event, she pointed out that the pharmacist “plays an important role to ensure that no counterfeit medicines reach the patients”. “The main thing is citizen awareness. We want to let citizens know the health and economic risks related with the purchase of medicines in fraudulent websites”, Belen Escribano said. In this direction, the AEMPS will soon launch a new information campaign to alert citizens about the risks of buying medicinal products on the internet outside the authorized pharmacies. The AEMPS continues working on strengthening the controls of the sale of medicinal products over the internet, due to the fact that 97% of the websites are illegal and 62% of medicinal products offered are counterfeited or substandard.