§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on his Department's monitoring of the sale of(a) licensed and (b) unlicensed medicines over the internet. [167803]
§ Ms Rosie WintertonThe Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) works in co-ordination with world-wide enforcement bodies to address this area of criminal activity. The MHRA is a member of the Permanent Forum on International Pharmaceutical Crime (PFIPC). This forum was set up by the United Kingdom in 1998 to promote good practice and develop intelligence links and networks. Internet crime is a frequent topic for discussion.
An initiative to co-ordinate action within the European Community and pre accession countries was established this year to advise and assist prospective members and to raise awareness of issues relating to the internet.
An initiative is currently in progress to identify a commercially available internet monitoring software package for use by the MHRA.
In addition, the MHRA and the former Medicines Control Agency (MCA) has beer involved with three initiatives involving the availability of medicines on the internet sponsored by other Government agencies and local authorities, such as the Office of Fair Trading, Inland Revenue and trading standards departments. These initiatives identified websites which appeared to be in breach of medicines legislation. The MHRA/MCA investigated the services offered by those websites and took appropriate action.
§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on his Department's policy on enforcing the General Medicine Council's ruling on the sale of medicines over the internet. [167804]
§ Ms Rosie WintertonIn November 1998 the General Medical Council (CMC) issued guidance to doctors on providing advice and medicine on line or by telephone. The GMC guidance promotes good medical practice but is not for the Government to enforce.
§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to seek to amend the law relating to sales of drugs over the internet; and if he will make a statement. [167805]
166W
§ Ms Rosie WintertonThere are no plans to amend medicines legislation relating to the internet. Legal controls on the retail sale or supply of medicines are set out in the Medicines Act 1968 and associated regulations.
These controls apply without distinction to medicines sold or supplied through internet transactions. Although there are strict legal controls in legislation on the sale, supply and advertisement of medicinal products within the European Community, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) accepts that the sale of medicines over the internet poses unique challenges to national authorities.
Along with counterparts in other member states and other enforcement bodies world-wide (including the Food and Drugs Administration), the MHRA continues to monitor developments. However, by its very nature, the internet, with its broad reach, relative anonymity and the ease of creating new websites (plus removing old ones) means that ensuring effective compliance with legislative requirements requires a global commitment.
§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many investigations have been carried out into the sale of unlicensed medicines via the internet by(a) the Medicines Control Agency for each year between 1997 and 2003 and (b) the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency in the last year. [167808]
§ Ms Rosie WintertonThe number of internet investigations carried out by the Medicines Control Agency (MCA) and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) involving unlicensed medicinal products year-on-year since 1997 is shown in the table.
Number of cases 1997–20011 3 2001–021 1 2002–031 5 2003–042 7 1Investigated by the MCA. 2Investigated by the MHRA.
§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many prosecutions against sellers of unlicensed medicines via the internet(a) have been undertaken, (b) have been successful and (c) are in preparation by (i) the Medicines Control Agency for each year between 1997 and 2003 and (ii) the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency in the last year. [167809]
§ Ms Rosie WintertonTo date, there has been one successful prosecution, by the then Medicines Control Agency, relating to the sale of unlicensed medicines on the internet. This took place in 1999. No other such prosecutions have been brought.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency currently has two cases prepared for prosecution involving the sale of unlicensed medicines on the internet.
§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many employees are engaged in the Special Inquiry Unit of the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency investigating drugs sales through the internet. [167810]
167W
§ Ms Rosie WintertonThe work of the special enquiry unit of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) was absorbed into the mainstream criminal investigation unit in October 2001.
The MHRA currently employs 14 full time investigators. The investigators cover all allegations relating to breaches of medicines legislation and do not exclusively investigate sales via the internet.
§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what training is undertaken by employees of the Special Inquiry Unit of the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency investigating drug sales through the internet. [167811]
§ Ms Rosie WintertonAll investigation officers in the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) receive training in how to undertake investigations into cases involving the internet. Also, specialist administrative staff involved in internet casework have received additional training in internet search techniques.
In addition, senior officers from the MHRA visited United States federal agencies in Washington at the end of last year as part of a familiarisation exercise on electronic investigative techniques currently in use in the United States. They received demonstrations of training and software packages on the market and in operation. Senior officers in the MHRA are in the process of evaluating which systems will be best suited to its needs.