Dealing with illegal pharmaceutical sales over the Internet; can we benefit from lessons learned from informal drug sellers in Africa?

An international week of action targeting the online sale of counterfeit and illicit medicines was coordinated by Interpol and the World Health Organization (WHO)’s International Medical Products Anti-Counterfeiting Taskforce in 24 countries. It resulted in a series of arrest and seizure of thousands of potential harmful medical products. More than 700 Web sites engaged in illegal activities have been discovered, 72 of which have been taken down. Although parallel pharmaceutical markets may be relatively recent in northern countries, informal drug sellers have been present for decades in Africa. This article questions whether this parallel could be extended to recommended management and control. Buying medicines over the Internet is not, per se, unsafe or illegal. Some sites provide adequate information and control. However, many online sales are questionably appropriate, at best. In terms of public health, sellers use specific national legislation (such as no need for medical prescription or pharmaceutical review) to deliver products all over the world. In terms of economy, they benefit from price differences between countries, thus transgressing sales contracts with pharmaceutical industries and customs regulations. Some sites are totally illegal because they propose counterfeit products.