The Chief Pharmaceutical Officer for Northern Ireland, Dr Norman Morrow, met with members of the Permanent Forum on International Pharmaceutical Crime (PFIPC) to discuss ways to tackle global pharmaceutical crime.

Delegates representing 14 countries attended today’s meeting in Belfast which involved discussion of the threat posed to public health and safety from such activities as the international trade in counterfeit and sub-standard medicines, illegal diversion of medicines and internet trading of pharmaceutical products.

Dr Morrow said: “The Department values the collaborative links which exist in the area of medicines control across the UK and with colleagues in the Republic of Ireland.

"In particular, we in Northern Ireland can derive great benefit from utilising the pool of knowledge and expertise which is represented by this gathering of experts. Even though we are a small community, we are not immune from the tide of criminal activity which forms the content of the Forum’s agenda.”

Dr Morrow highlighted the problem pharmaceutical crime, and in particular the growing problem of trade in sub-standard counterfeit medicines, which poses a serious threat to public health.

“Medicines need to be safe, effective and of good quality in order to produce the desired effect," he said.

"Ensuring these properties in the face of threats from those involved in pharmaceutical crime requires not only vigilance on the part of national medicines regulatory bodies but greater collaborative links between international agencies concerned with the control of manufacture, importation, distribution and sale of medicines.”

The week long conference is being hosted jointly by the DHSSPS and the Irish Medicines Board and concludes this coming Friday.

PFIPC was formed in 1998 and has its origins in the determination of a number of countries to encourage inter-agency co-operation in the attempt to tackle the serious threat to public health from the various forms of pharmaceutical crime.

The Department has been represented at the annual meetings of the Forum since its inception in 1998 and has, together with the Irish Medicines Board, made presentations to the last three annual meetings.

Delegates are attending from Great Britain, France, Germany, Belgium, The Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Singapore, Switzerland, Australia, South Africa, the USA and, for the first time, a representative from the People’s Republic of China.

(MB)