In three months, Anvisa seizes 170 tons of medicines
Source: Ecos da Notícias, 14/04/2009
The National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) and the National Council to Combat Piracy released today (14) a balance sheet showing that more than 170 tons of counterfeit drugs were seized, unregistered or smuggled in the country, between January and March this year. According to Anvisa technicians, in all apprehensions of counterfeit drugs, the owners of pharmacies were involved with the counterfeiting scheme. The biggest concern is with drugs without registration with Anvisa.
In those three months, 57 people were arrested and face crimes that can lead to between 15 and 1,5 years in prison and fines ranging from R $ 2 to R $ 2008 million. In 20, only XNUMX tons had been seized.
The drugs most targeted by counterfeiters are those used to combat sexual impotence, such as Viagra and Cialis. What most caught the attention of investigators was the increase in seizures in pharmacies that work legally in the country.
However, counterfeit drugs make up only 5% of total seizures. Another 5% were products from the smuggling of medicines with authorization for sale in other countries, but not in Brazil.
And 90% of the seizures were from unregistered remedies, invariably from popular recipes, such as the food supplement “Chá do Índio Reforçado”, “Quebra Pedra”, popularly used by people with kidney problems, or “Unha de Gato” whose label promises to cure "inflammation, infection, pain in general", among others in an extensive list.
The president of the Agency, Dirceu Raposo, said that fighting the production and commercialization of medicines without registration is the biggest concern of the government.
Barreto also said that the government will continue to fight piracy and close pharmacies that are part of schemes for selling counterfeit drugs. "We will also continue to identify the routes of these drugs that we have so far identified as countries like Paraguay, Bolivia and Colombia," he revealed.
According to him, this year Anvisa should launch a pilot program for national traceability of medicines produced in Brazil.
During the presentation of the balance sheet, the Ministry of Justice signed a technical cooperation agreement with the School of Farm Administration (ESAF). The intention is to include in the Fiscal Education Program information about the effects of piracy on society and the importance of combating this type of crime. With the partnership, which will also involve the Ministry of Education and the state departments of Education, teachers from public and private schools will be trained and pass on the knowledge to elementary school students.