Illegal Prescription Medicines still being sourced

Increased Awareness Calls on Prescription Medicines

The Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) has stated that whilst the volume of detained illegal medicines in the first half of 2022 has fallen significantly compared to the same period in 2021, a substantial amount of product is still being sourced online which poses risks to people’s health. The HPRA enforcement section detained nearly half a million (486,088) dosage units of falsified and other illegal medicines between January and June 2022 (895,591 for the first half of 2021). Announcing its mid-year update of detention figures, the HPRA reminded the public of the health risks associated with prescription medicines purchased online from unauthorised sources. Grainne Power, Director of Compliance, Health Products Regulatory Authority

“Although the volume of detentions has decreased, we are still observing significant levels of potent, prescription medicines that are being illegally supplied into Ireland”

In the first six months of 2022, the main categories of illegal products detained included sedatives (28%), anabolic steroids (12%), erectile dysfunction medicines (9%) and analgesics (7%). The breakdown is:

• Sedative medicines – 137,587 units detained (434,157 units detained Jan – June 2021). • Anabolic steroids – 59,764 units detained (59,750 units detained

Jan – June 2021). • Erectile dysfunction - 41,635 units were detained (56,878 units detained Jan – June 2021). • Analgesic medicines – 33,542 units detained (105,769 units detained Jan – June 2021). • 43,707 units of Covid-19 medicines detained (23,172 units detained Jan – June 2021). • 287 websites, e-commerce listings and/or social media pages amended or shutdown (167 Jan – June 2021). According to Grainne Power, Director of Compliance with the HPRA, the reduction of detentions in the first half of 2022 cannot be linked to any one factor alone. “Although the volume of detentions has decreased, we are still observing significant levels of potent, prescription medicines that are being illegally supplied into Ireland. These levels remain very concerning with so many people prepared to take a chance in ordering prescription medicines online. When you acquire medicines from unregulated sources, you simply have no idea what you are getting. This isn’t merely about people wasting money on falsified or counterfeit products, it is also about the very real dangers of significant side effects, of using a product without supervision where there is no guarantee of what it contains and of experiencing interactions with other medicines being taken. All of these risks have the potential to make your condition worse or cause serious harm to health,” Ms Power says.

¤3.2m for Degenerative Retinal Diseases

The project (EYE-D) will target diseases that can result in severe loss of vision and are estimated to affect 224,000 people in Ireland, and 40 million people worldwide. The funding for EYE-D was announced today by Simon Harris, Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. Science Foundation Ireland will provide ¤1.6 million Professors Matthew Campbell and Sarah Doyle, Trinity College Dublin

funding to EYE-D, matched by project partners. The proposed partnership involves separate collaborations with three companies: Roche, Disarm/Eli Lilly, private ophthalmology clinic, Progressive Vision Research, and the charity Fighting Blindness Ireland. Cumulatively, these groups will fund ¤1.6 million to advance various research programmes focused on identifying the underlying causes of degenerative eye diseases. Professor Matthew Campbell said, “We are excited about the potential developments that will emerge from this grant. Spearheading a project with a cumulative budget of ¤3.2 million will allow us to make a major impact on the international stage of vision research. In addition, our research endeavours put us in a perfect position to identify the cause of some of the most common forms of blindness.”

Co-PI, Professor Sarah Doyle, added, “This funding will allow us to build on the major successes our group has had in understanding degenerative eye diseases. Added to this, we can now recruit the most talented group of scientists internationally and place Ireland at the forefront of vision research.”

relieve the discomfort

For the local management of pain, pruritus and inflammation associated with internal or external haemorrhoids, and such haemorrhoidal complications as fissures, proctitis, perianal eczema, and post-operative states.

ABBREVIATED PRESCRIBING INFORMATION. Proctosedyl ointment. Each gram of ointment contains 5 mg of hydrocortisone, 5 mg of cinchocaine hydrochloride, 10 mg of aesculin and 10 mg of framycetin sulphate. Presentation: Yellowish white, translucent, homogeneous ointment. Indications: In the local management of pain, pruritus and inflammation associated with internal or external haemorrhoids, and such haemorrhoidal complications as fissures, proctitis, perianal eczema, and post-operative states. Dosage: Application to external surface or by means of the cannula into the rectum, twice daily and after each bowel movement. Treatment should last for a week. Method of administration: Topical, intrarectal and perianal. Contraindications: Use in the presence of untreated infections of viral, bacterial, tuberculous, parasitic or fungal origin. Use in patients hypersensitive to the active ingredient or any of the excipients. Warnings and precautions: Continuous treatment for longer than three weeks should be avoided in patients under the age of three years because of the possibility of adrenocortical suppression and growth retardation. Continuous application without interruption will result in local atrophy of the skin, striae, and superficial vascular dilation. Prolonged use of an anti-infective may result in the development of super-infection due to organisms, including fungi, resistant to that anti-infective. May cause local skin reactions (e.g. contact dermatitis). Before prescribing the product any potential malignancies should be excluded. Pheochromocytoma crisis, which can be fatal, has been reported after administration of corticosteroids. Corticosteroids should only be administered to patients with suspected or identified pheochromocytoma after an appropriate risk/benefit evaluation. Visual disturbance may be reported with systemic and topical corticosteroid use. If a patient presents with symptoms such as blurred vision or other visual disturbances, the patient should be considered for referral to an ophthalmologist for evaluation of possible causes which may include cataract, glaucoma or rare diseases such as central serous chorioretinopathy (CSCR) which have been reported after use of systemic and topical corticosteroids. Interactions: Co-treatment with CYP3A inhibitors, including cobicistat-containing products, is expected to increase the risk of systemic side-effects. The combination should be avoided unless the benefit outweighs the increased risk of systemic corticosteroid side effects, in which case patients should be monitored for systemic corticosteroid side effects. Pregnancy and lactation: This product should not be used in pregnancy or lactation unless considered essential by the physician. Driving and operation of machinery: Not applicable. Undesirable effects: Itching, pain or rash. Refer to Summary of Product Characteristics for other undesirable effects. Adverse events should be reported via HPRA Pharmacovigilance, website: www.hpra.ie. Pack size: 30 g. Marketing authorisation holder: Opella Healthcare France SAS T/A Sanofi, 82 Avenue Raspail, 94250 Gentilly, France. Marketing authorisation number: PA23180/002/001. Medicinal product subject to medical prescription. Last revision date: May 2022. Distributed in Ireland by Clonmel Healthcare Ltd, Waterford Road, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary, Ireland. 2022/ADV/PRO/120H