Buying medicines online? Commission introduces logo to make sure consumers are safe

With Europeans increasingly buying medicines online, how can we be sure that an online pharmacy is authentic and safe?

Today, the Commission adopts an implementing Regulation under the Falsified Medicinal Products Directive (2011/62/EU) which sets out the design for a common logo for online pharmacies, and the technical requirements for ensuring its authenticity.

The logo will fully be available in second half of 2015.

Tonio Borg, European Commissioner for Health, said: "When buying medicines online, consumers must be aware that unless they buy from legally-operating online medicine suppliers, they run the risk of buying medicines that are falsified. Falsified medicines can be ineffective, harmful or even deadly. The Commission has established a common logo for online pharmacies so consumers can stay safe."

This is the logo to look out for on the homepage of an online pharmacy. The rectangle on the middle left side will have the flag of the EU country where the online pharmacy is established, and the text will be translated into the official language/s of that country.

How does it work?

First, look for the logo on the website through which you are considering buying medicines and click on it. You should be taken to the national regulatory authority website, which lists all legally operating online pharmacies and other legally authorised retailers of medicines. Check that the pharmacy is listed. Then continue with your purchase. If not listed, do not buy from that website. Use one of the legitimate medicine retailers listed on your national regulatory authority’s website. 

When will it start to appear? 

The Regulation should enter into force in the next four to six weeks. Member States have one year to prepare for its application. The European Commission is providing national authorities with a Communication Toolkit to support them with the preparation of national awareness campaigns which are required by the Falsified Medicines Directive.

The toolkit and more information on falsified medicines is available here: http://ec.europa.eu/health/human-use/falsified_medicines/index_en.htm

Source

Europa.eu

Joan Peppard elected as next EAHP President

Joan Peppard has been elected as the next President of the European Association of Hospital Pharmacists (EAHP), commencing a 3 year term of office from June 2015. She will now serve one year as President Elect during the final 12 months of Dr Roberto Frontini’s Presidency of the Association.

The election took place at the General Assembly of the EAHP in Sofia. The General Assembly is the annual occasion at which the 34 member countries of EAHP meet in person to determine policy, elect the Board, scrutinise the activities of the Association and conduct other decision making activity.

Joan, a chief pharmacist in a hospital in the Irish midlands, currently serves on the EAHP Board as Director of Professional Development and has twice been the head of the Hospital Pharmacists Association of Ireland in the position of President. Prior to joining the EAHP Board Joan was for many years one of the lead delegates for Ireland within the EAHP annual General Assembly, and played an active role in the conduct of EAHP educational and research activities at the national level.

Speaking after her election, Joan Peppard, President-Elect of EAHP said: “It is with a sense of great humility that I begin to take on the primary leadership role of the EAHP, knowing that under the stewardship of predecessors a real momentum of energy and experience has been established to make EAHP the driver for hospital pharmacy practice improvement across Europe that it is today. With the new European Statements of Hospital Pharmacy recently agreed between the profession, patients and other healthcare professionals, the number one challenge for the forthcoming EAHP Board is evident – how to turn that clear vision for the future of the profession into a reality in every European country. Working with my colleagues on the Board, the secretariat and our dedicated membership, I know we have the commitment, insight and enthusiasm to achieve it. I again thank members for the confidence they have placed in me and look forward to working with them in delivering our shared aspirations for the profession we all love.”

Dr Roberto Frontini, President of EAHP added: “Knowing very well Joan’s professional background, and her proven ability to make change happen on the ground, even in the most difficult practice environments, I am completely assured EAHP will continue to go from strength to strength in the achievement of its mission under her leadership. I’m therefore looking forward to assisting in the handover period, and introducing her personally to the many partner, friend and allied organisations we work with in ensuring the continuous improvement of all that the hospital pharmacist does across our member countries."

Source

EAHP

Final Opinion on Nanosilver: safety, health and environmental effects and role in antimicrobial resistance

Today, the European Commission and its non-food Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks, SCENIHR, published the final opinion on "Nanosilver: safety, health and environmental effects and role in antimicrobial resistance".

The aim of this opinion is to assess whether the use of nanosilver, in particular in medical care and in consumer products, could result in additional risks compared to more traditional uses of silver and whether the use of nanosilver to control bacterial growth could result in resistance of micro-organisms.

SCENIHR concludes that the widespread (and increasing) use of silver containing products implicates that both consumers and the environment are exposed to new sources of silver. Human exposure is direct (food, hand-to-mouth contact, skin) and may be life long; while in the environment silver nanoparticles may be a particularly effective delivery system for silver to organisms in soil, water and sediment and may act as sources of ionic silver over extended periods of time. Therefore, additional effects caused by widespread and long term use of silver nanoparticles cannot be ruled out.

Regarding the hazard associated with the dissemination of the resistance mechanism following the use of silver nanoparticles, more data are needed to better understand bacterial response to ionic silver and silver nanoparticles exposure.

To read the Opinion in full 
For more information on the Commission’s independent scientific committees

Content of the opinion In 2012, the Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks, SCENIHR, was asked to formulate an Opinion on Nanosilver: safety, health and environmental effects and role in antimicrobial resistance. This was mainly due to the concern with regard to health risks associated with the use of nanosilver.

The aim of this opinion is to assess whether the use of nanosilver, in particular in medical care and in consumer products, could result in additional risks compared to more traditional uses of silver and whether the use of nanosilver to control bacterial growth could result in resistance of micro-organisms.

SCENIHR concluded that the widespread (and increasing) use of silver containing products implicates that both consumers and the environment are exposed to new sources of silver. Human exposure is direct (food, hand-to-mouth contact, skin) and may be life long; while in the environment silver nanoparticles may be a particularly effective delivery system for silver to organisms in soil, water and sediment and may act as sources of ionic silver over extended periods of time. Therefore, additional effects caused by widespread and long term use of silver nanoparticles cannot be ruled out.

Regarding the hazard associated with the dissemination of the resistance mechanism following the use of silver nanoparticles, no studies are available at this moment, representing a serious gap of knowledge. Since other nanoparticles have been shown to substantially increase the horizontal gene transfer between bacteria – which is extremely relevant for developing resistance – the potential of silver nanoparticles to induce similar effects should be given particular attention. More data are needed to better understand bacterial response to ionic silver and silver nanoparticles exposure. Since the mechanisms resulting in silver nanoparticles resistance are not well understood, it is not possible to estimate at this time whether or not resistance of microorganisms will increase and spread in view of a more widespread use of silver nanoparticles in products.

Source

European Commission