PROSECUTION AND PUBLIC AWARENESS: KEY LINES OF DEFENCE AGAINST FALSIFIED MEDICINAL PRODUCTS DURING PANDEMIC
PROSECUTION AND PUBLIC AWARENESS: KEY LINES OF DEFENCE AGAINST FALSIFIED MEDICINAL PRODUCTS DURING PANDEMIC

Summary/Abstract: In the beginning of 2020 the world faced a new, unknown heath threat caused by a novel coronavirus outbreak. The preceding 2009 H1N1 pandemic urged many health authorities and organizations worldwide to revise and update their prevention and control protocols in case of infectious diseases but the present situation caught them unprepared for the magnitude of morbidity and mortality that COVID-19 causes. Thousands of people lost their lives in just few months, health services are seriously upended and the economic losses are expected to reach unexpected levels. While the authorities are desperately trying to protect the public health and mitigate the negative economic impact of the measures designed to keep people safe, criminal originations actively engage in benefitting from the vulnerability of the legal and regulatory frameworks. The medicinal shortages combined with the lack of awareness in the society pose serious threat as panicked people turn to unauthorised and dangerous sources to buy pharmaceuticals and medical products. Their irrational and dangerous behaviour facilitate and significantly contribute to the uncontrolled spread of fakes as Internet provides perfect conditions for the unscrupulous dealers. The public is overwhelmed by a constant flow of disinformation that contain misleading and potentially dangerous recommendations and online offers for ―miracle cures‖. The disrupted legitimate supply chains provide further options for illegal structures to exploit the fear of the society and profiteer from the global crisis. The present material aims to review and analyse the main reasons that incite people to voluntary take part in such offences. It also points out the relevant areas that stakeholders should focus their efforts to fight back a parallel health threat – the falsified medicinal products. The key counteractions and recommendations undertaken by renown international and European organizations and institutions are summarized and a discussion is raised with reference their adoption, stricter implementation and further development. If policymakers engage more actively to strengthen their legal and regulatory frameworks against falsified medicinal products, their efforts would result in better preparedness and response in case of future health crises and in increased trust in governments and healthcare systems

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