Deputy Health Minister Renier Schoeman on Tuesday warned South Africans of the dangers involved in buying medicines via the internet.
Speaking during debate on the health budget vote in the National Assembly, he said medicines control legislation went a long way towards making medicines more affordable without sacrificing any of the safeguards presently in place to ensure their safety and quality.
However, technology had introduced new risks and new challenges in the area of medicines control.
”The illegal marketing of medicines across national borders by means of the internet is a threat to the sound control system that we have developed under the Medicines Control Council and of which we are justifiably proud.”
People had various reasons to turn to the internet to purchase medicines. These included costs, access to medicines not registered in South Africa, and fulfilling needs created by addiction.
”The point is that medicines purchased through the internet are an unknown quantity. There is a tendency for medicines to move illegally from uncontrolled markets into markets where quality is more strictly controlled.
”The growth of the internet has provided opportunities for unscrupulous individuals to advertise and distribute controlled substances, counterfeit medicines and unproven quack remedies,” he said.
Health department inspectors, acting on behalf of the Medicines Control Council, had found many internet pharmacies existed only in cyberspace.
The stock was often scattered across various countries, chosen because of their weak controls, and the profits were routed through numerous bank accounts around the world.
Smuggling of medicines was also a growing problem and the department was aware of individuals and organisations smuggling poor quality prescription medicines into the country.
To date, six cases had been sent to the police for further investigation and prosecution.
”Effective action against these criminals and other threats to medicine safety demands international co-operation and joint action by governments, industry and regulatory institutions, and we are mindful of the fact that this challenge must be met,” Schoeman said. – Sapa