DUBLIN: Fake and illegal sedatives and erectile dysfunction and slimming pills were among almost 750,000 dodgy medicines seized by authorities last year.
And highlighting the toxic dangers of these illicit prescription drugs, a staggering 3,000 adverse reactions reports were filed, the 214 Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) annual report revealed.
The national regulator’s crackdown on fake and illegal pills brought some great results with some 3,703 enforcement cases opened and 10 District Court prosecutions initiated.
Offences prosecuted included procurement and importation without legal authorisation, supply of prescription-only medicines without prescription and the wholesale of medicines without a wholesaler’s authorisation.
And a total of 102 medicine recalls were initiated in 2014, 16% of which were to patients, 37% at pharmacy and retail level and 47% to wholesalers.
In all, a staggering 730,056 dodgy prescription drugs were seized last year, 56% of which were sedatives.
Some 95,000 erectile dysfunction were also seized while 51,000 potentially deadly weight loss pills were detained by the authorities.
The number of adverse reaction reports, 2,884, was up from 2013 and Ireland ranked 10th in terms of reporting rates for adverse reactions among the 121 country members who signed up to the World Health Organization’s International Drug Monitoring programme for human medicines.
The regulator also received 300 reports of suspected adverse reactions to veterinary medicines.
Naoise CulhanePicture shows detained products from The Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA)
Pat O’Mahony, HPRA Chief Executive said: “During the year, working with our partners in An Garda Síochána and Revenue’s Customs Service, we detected more than 730,000 dosage units coming into Ireland. Once again, we urge members of the public not to take risks with their health and to remember that the consumption of even very small quantities of these illegal medicines can have very serious consequences.
“The key activities and outcomes for 2014 across both our pre-market and post-market functions highlight the expanding and ever-changing nature of our work.”
Among the other highlights of the annual report were the measures introduced by the regulator to allow Nicotine Replacement Therapy products to be sold in shops rather than just pharmacies.
There were also 260 national and foreign inspections and audits carried out to ensure industry compliance with relevant health standards and legislation, down from 313 inspections and audits in 2013.
The majority of these inspections are carried out at manufacturing and distribution sites.
Some 80 clinical trials were approved to start in Ireland for human use, down from 102 in the previous year and the key areas of interest continue to include oncology and haematology.
There were another 10 applications for clinical investigations of a medical device.
New human medicine product authorisations reduced from 752 in 2013 to 615 last year, a trend being reflected throughout Europe.
There were 75 new veterinary medicines authorised in 2014, down from the peak of 85 the previous year.
