Aegate News

Study validates benefits of drug authentication

Aegate, London, 23 September, 2009: Independent research conducted by the Pharmaceutical Centre for Pharmaceutical Care and Pharma-economics in Leuven Belgium has shown that drug authentication offers an essential and also cost effective solution to prevent counterfeit medicines from reaching patients.

The increase of fake medicines within Europe is a serious concern. These represent the third largest category of customs seizures in Europe, according to the latest published statistics. The figures show an increase of 57 per cent^[1] in the number of cases of counterfeit medicines discovered. Without detection these could lead to harm or even fatalities.

The study, commissioned by patient safety communications company Aegate, demonstrates that a country looking to adopt drug authentication will be taking a significant step further in the battle to protect consumers from counterfeit medicines. Aegate's working authentication system, which is fully operational in Belgium and Greece and currently being installed in Italy, was rigorously scrutinised as part of the evaluation and demonstrated 100 per cent reliability in identifying authentic, recalled, expired and suspicious drugs at the point of dispense.

In addition, using data models based on a hypothetical, but typical, European country with 10,000 pharmacists, the research illustrates that drug authentication would become cost neutral in a scenario when just a small number of products -- less than half of one per cent per annum -- are identified by the pharmacist, using such an authentication system, as unsuitable for dispensing.

The modelling shows a potential for health providers to recoup the costs of implementation through healthcare savings, with net gains of up to €28million over a five year period being observed.

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[1] REPORT ON EU CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS. RESULTS AT THE EUROPEAN BORDER - 2008