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Unofficial Translation

Interfax
October 9, 2001

67% of Counterfeit Pharmaceuticals in the RF are Imitations of Domestic Products - RF Ministry of Health

About 67% of counterfeit drugs identified on the Russian market are imitations of domestic products. Thirty-one percent are fake analogues of foreign medicines and 2% imitate drugs produced in the CIS.

Deputy Health Minister Anton Katlinsky, related Tuesday at the Moscow conference "The Fight Against Counterfeit Drugs in Russia" that in the first six months of 2001 the Ministry of Health identified 50 cases of counterfeit medicines spanning 25 series.

The key problem that the Ministry of Health has to tackle is the import and production of counterfeit drugs in Russia.

According to Katlinsky, it is vital that they stem the tide of the sale of illegal products through legal networks (distributors and pharmacies) and garner the active support of public organizations (associations of distributors, producers and pharmacies).

Katlinsky stated the Russian Ministry of Health has formed a working group, which incorporates representatives of the General Prosecutor's Office, FSB, Tax Police, Ministry of Economic Development, Ministry of Health and other agencies. This group is working on revising applicable legislation, in particular, it is proposing to amend the Law "On Medicines", as well as revise the Administrative and Criminal Codes of the Russian Federation. According to the Deputy Minister, respective draft laws have already been prepared and are in the stage of coordination.

At the same time, the RF Ministry of Health is working to improve the system for certification and quality control of medicines. Katlinsky believes that it's necessary to step aside from the system of total certification of medicines and shift to the mechanisms of selective control, which will be verified by the producer. He admitted, however, that this system will be effective only if pharmaceutical inspection boards responsible for identifying counterfeits are simultaneously introduced.