PARLIAMENTARY EARLY DAY MOTION
COUNTERFEIT MEDICINES (14 November 2005)

That this House believes that counterfeit medicines are a growing international problem which represent a threat to patient safety; notes that the World Health Organisation estimates that 8 to 10 per cent. of the global medicines supply chain is counterfeit; further notes that incidences of counterfeiting in the United Kingdom are rare but on the increase, with three cases having been found in the UK supply chain since 2004; advocates greater patient awareness of the risks of obtaining counterfeit medicines, which also defraud consumers by denying them genuine medications that can improve their condition; welcomes the work the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency is undertaking to tackle counterfeiting; and calls for tougher penalties for counterfeiters to reflect their potentially lethal activity.

Sponsored by:
Dr Ian Gibson (Labour)