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<p>In the United Kingdom, there are strict legal controls on the retail sale, supply
and advertisement of medicinal products and these controls apply equally to medicines
sold or supplied via internet or e-mail transactions.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Illegal
trading in medicines and medical devices can have a direct impact on the health of
the UK public and consequently breaches in legislative requirements are taken very
seriously. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has responsibility
for enforcing medicines legislation and during the course of last year received over
4,500 reports of suspect activity involving medicines and medical devices, 270 of
which led to a criminal investigation.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>There are no
figures to quantify the total value of illegal trading in medicines but during 2014,
4,512 packages containing an estimated 6<strong>,</strong>028,538 doses were seized
by the MHRA at the UK Border. The MHRA has estimated that seizures from April 2014
to date have a likely re-sale value of £11.5 million – this includes £9.5 million
seized during Operation Pangea.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>MHRA works closely with
UK Border Force and joint exercises which targeted imports from countries known to
source non-compliant medicines have been undertaken. Training to identify suspicious
trading in medicines has been provided to UKBF personnel and a national Strategic
Threat Assessment on pharmaceutical crime is being developed.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
</p><p>MHRA monitors the internet for websites operating outside legal requirements
and, in collaboration with Internet Service Providers, takes steps to close down sites
both in the UK and abroad.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>MHRA also works with industry
and other stakeholders to identify illegal activity involving medicines and hosts
both Falsified Medicines and Pharmaceutical Industry Stakeholder Groups.</p><p> </p><p>
</p><p> </p><p>MHRA actions aim to tackle both supply and, equally important, demand
for illegally traded medicines and has instigated a number of public awareness campaigns
delivered by the MHRA and also by MHRA in conjunction with other stakeholders such
as the General Pharmaceutical Council, patient groups and the pharmaceutical industry.</p><p>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>New requirements for wholesalers and distributors of medicines
introduced by the Falsified Medicines Directive were implemented in the UK in August
2013 and strengthen controls on the regulated supply chain.</p><p> </p>
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