From 2.5 tons in 2010 to 131 tons to date (2013), however, the fundamental solution to the illegal trade is to expand the supply of drugs and access to legitimate Mexicans market.

the fundamental solution to the illegal trade is to expand Mexican markets

Mexico. – Mercedes Juan López, secretary of federal Health (SSA), and Mikel Arriola Peñalosa, Federal Commissioner for Protection against Health Risks (Cofepris), inaugurated on Wednesday the Third International Forum on Combating Illegal Trade Products for Health event during which highlighted the urgent need to generate concrete actions and provide innovative solutions to counter the advance of the illegal drug market.

Via a statement, it was announced that Arriola Peñalosa said that securing illegal drugs increased by 5,140 percent in the past two years, that from 2.5 tons in 2010 to 131 tons to date (2013), however, he argued that the fundamental solution to the illegal trade is to expand the supply of drugs and access of Mexicans the formal market, to discourage the demand on informal channels.

Likewise, while participating in the table “Review of the actions taken against the illegal health products,” emphasized that the control measures, criminalization and instruments obligation to comply with the legal framework, ensuring safeguard society in terms of public health.

He also noted that as part of the government strategy to address this issue, have also been recalled nearly 1.2 million units of products called “miracle”. This represents an increase of 2,793 percent compared to 2010. He said that this is the total elimination of advertising of 60 products hazardous to health, to provide guidelines that came nearly four thousand ads per month and promised to “cure” serious diseases without scientific evidence.

In this regard, the president of the Mexican Association of Pharmaceutical Research Industries (AMIIF), Sandra Sanchez and Oldenhage said that “before a multifactorial phenomenon, such as the illegal drug market, we called for the participation of various stakeholders, including patients and consumers, who form the core of the system of pharmaceutical supply.”

“It is a priority to educate, prevent and protect them, i.e. they know the risks involved for public health procurement of drugs from the illegal market. Why it is essential to carry out a national campaign with the participation of stakeholders in combating the illegal drug market, “he explained.

Sanchez and Oldenhage, said that as the Most counterfeit medicines, according to data from the World Health Organization (WHO), are antibiotics, hormones, analgesics, steroids, cardiovascular and erectile dysfunction, is fundamental to consumer and patient awareness of the implications of this problem, enable them to make right choices when purchasing medications.

“This certainly is the first step on the road to prevent and strengthen the health system. Society seeks to become an ally in the fight against illegal drug market,” concluded. In turn, the U.S. ambassador in Mexico, Anthony Wayne, spoke about the importance of international cooperation to limit the spread and reduce the impact on public health because this phenomenon, which expands today also through internet.

It should be noted that this forum organized by AMIIF and the U.S. Embassy in Mexico, emphasized the importance of promoting the implementation of best practices and coordinated surveillance which involves industry, authority’s government and civil society, as only through joining forces achieved is as effective and have a sustainable impact on the eradication of this problem.