§ Mr. David NicholsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many manufacturers of counterfeit medicines have been detected in the United Kingdom this year; and720W what steps are being taken by the Medicines Control Agency to protect NHS patients from counterfeit medicines, particularly in respect of those that are entering the country under the guise of parallel imports.
§ Mr. SackvilleTwo. All reports of possible counterfeits are immediately investigated by the enforcement unit of the Medicines Control Agency, MCA, and any subsequent investigation given a high priority. The MCA also assesses the degree of hazard to the public and if necessary alerts relevant organisations and the public accordingly.
§ Mr. David NicholsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many reports her Department has received of counterfeit medicines being(a) detected and (b) distributed in the United Kingdom in each year since 1990 and to date in 1994; and if she will name the products involved and the source of the products.
§ Mr. SackvilleInformation in this detail could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
The Department of Health receives between 20 and 30 such reports each year, the products involved are usually major brand leaders or—more recently—anabolic steroids. Eighty per cent. of the reports are related to "diverted" products. These products are legally manufactured within product specification but diverted to the United Kingdom from other markets.