In Denmark and the rest of the EU, a lot has been done to protect you as a citizen against falsified medicines. When you receive medicine at a hospital or when you buy medicine at the pharmacy or from an approved online retailer, you can be confident that the medicine is genuine and verified. This is due to a number of rules and systems that have been put in place in Europe. One of the most important is the Falsified Medicines Directive (FMD). FMD means that all prescription medicines for humans in the EU must be sealed and have a unique identifier code on the packaging. This makes it possible to scan the package and check that the medicine is not falsified. This is called medicine verification, and it happens every time a medicine pack is dispensed to you from the pharmacy or hospital. In Denmark, it is the Danish Medicine Verification Organisation (DMVO) that is behind operating and developing the system behind it. In this way, we ensure that only approved and controlled medicines are dispensed in Denmark. We call this Together for Safe Medicine.

In Denmark and Europe, we are very privileged because counterfeit medicines almost never get through the legal supply chain – i.e. from the manufacturer, via wholesaler and pharmacy or hospital, to you as a consumer. This is due to the many safety checks and the close cooperation between authorities, pharmacies, hospitals and the pharmaceutical industry. Therefore, you can generally have great confidence in the medicine you are dispensed at the pharmacy or from an approved online retailer.

But be aware – the risk exists, especially online

Although the risk of encountering falsified medicines in the legal supply chain is very low, there is unfortunately an increasing challenge with falsified and illegal medicines sold on the internet and via social media. European authorities and Europol warn that the illegal trade in counterfeit medicines is on the rise, especially for popular products such as weight loss and diabetes medicines. These products can be dangerous and do not meet European requirements for quality and safety.

When buying medicines online, always look for the green EU logo on the website. The logo shows that the dealer is approved by the authorities. If you click on the logo, you will be taken to the Danish Medicines Agency’s list of approved online pharmacies and retailers. Here you can easily check if the retailer is registered – then you can safely complete your purchase.

In short -You can be confident in your medicine when you shop at approved retailers – both physically and online. Look for the green logo and use the Danish Medicines Agency’s list, and you are well secured.