Rise in seizures of illegally imported medicines
Large quantities of anti-impotence drugs, prescription-level vitamins, antibiotics and weight-loss products continue to be seized after being illegally imported, according to the annual Irish Medicines Board (IMB) report.
During the year, 88,279 tablets, 106,443 capsules, 22.5 litres of liquid and 40g of creams were seized by inspectors following increased cooperation between customs and excise officials and gardai.
It is illegal to import prescription or banned medicines over the internet or by mail order without a licence.
Closer cooperation and more intelligence sharing with European monitors also saw the number of related enforcement cases rise from 469 to 1,397.
Paracetamol
Seven shops were prosecuted for selling packs of paracetamol which exceeded legal limits on the amount that can be sold to one person, and a conviction was also secured for the unauthorised supply of anabolic steroids by mail order.
A custodial sentence was handed down for the illegal supply of the body building products in the Dublin Circuit Court.
The biggest exporters of illegal medicinal products were India and China.
Meanwhile, the report also reveals that over 1,700 suspected side effects to drugs were reported to the country's medicines watchdog last year along with 173 reports of critical quality defects.
Areas of concern included product contamination, product mix-up, serious adverse reactions and worries about counterfeiting. According to IMB chief executive Pat O'Mahony, a "wide range of safety actions were implemented during the year across a variety of medicines".
Dr Joan Gilvarry, director of human medicines, said the organisation welcomed the 1,751 reports of suspected adverse reaction to drugs and helped in the vigilance of product safety.
A new online system of reporting is now in place which would cut down on form filling. Following the suspension of the drug Nimesulide in May 2007, a freephone helpline received 1,500 enquiries from the public.
- Eilish O'Regan Health Correspondent
