| A. There is no reason to believe that counterfeits are a significant
problem in the legitimate supply chain in the UK. However, recent
evidence suggests that an increasing amount of counterfeit medicines
are reaching the UK.
The threat of counterfeit medicines has been recognised by the
World Health Organisation (WHO) as a growing international problem.
It is estimated that 8%-10% of the global medicines supply chain
is counterfeit, with this number increasing to 25% in some countries.
In the UK, most supplies of counterfeit medicines stem from illegitimate,
Internet pharmacies selling so-called ‘lifestyle medicines’
for conditions such as erectile dysfunction, obesity and hair loss.
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