GIF strengthens e-surveillance of online drug sales

- This is the first step to increasing oversight of online drug sales. We are increasingly frequent and willing to do all kinds of shopping online. Naturally, we also want to be able to stock up on legally sold medicines online. As consumers, however, we need to be aware that the sale of medicines on the Internet is allowed only in the case of an online pharmacy or pharmacy outlet that meets certain requirements," explains Ewa Krajewska Chief Pharmaceutical Inspector.

The condition for online pharmacies to sell drugs is that the pharmacy has a stationary business. The patient will recognize them by the characteristic white cross on a green background. This is the common logo that all legally operating online pharmacies in the European Union bear.

- A drug acquired from an illegal source may be a counterfeit drug. Taking it risks serious consequences for our health. We must keep this in mind whenever we reach for medicines available for sale online. There is also a great responsibility on platforms offering medicinal products. They are not authorized to do so, but dishonest bidders often take advantage of consumers' ignorance. Meanwhile, if we are talking about medicines, the person buying ceases to be a consumer and becomes a patient.

Strengthening pharmaceutical e-surveillance will have no tangible effect without the attitude of social responsibility of entrepreneurs selling online. - Companies that want to be perceived as patient-friendly should implement mechanisms to protect their safety and block illegal drug sales offers, as well as respect the ban on advertising medicinal products , says the Chief Pharmaceutical Inspector.

An example of good practice in this area is the mechanism for proactively preventing the listing of drugs, which Allegro has introduced on its platform. This tool analyzes the database of listings on an ongoing basis and, if it detects a product listed on the Register of Medicinal Products, automatically blocks the listing or takes the listing off the platform. In the period from January 1 to September 27 this year alone, Allegro's security mechanisms blocked more than 88,000 attempts to list medicinal products on the platform. These mechanisms are constantly being expanded and improved based on databases provided by GIF and data from listings eliminated from the platform.

As Marta Mikliszanska, director of public affairs and ESG at Allegro Group, points out, Poles are moving more and more of their shopping online. This trend includes products from the Health category, which are experiencing dynamic increases in consumer interest. This translates directly into an increase in the number of listings, as well as sellers in this segment. Thanks to the verification systems we have introduced, buyers on Allegro can be sure that they are reaching for safe medical products from verified sources. It's also a safeguard for our sellers, so that their listings are monitored on an ongoing basis so that they comply with current regulations.

- This is the first step to increase the effectiveness of surveillance efforts against illegal online drug sales. We know we have a lot of work ahead of us. We plan to reach out to other sales platforms and convince them to apply analogous solutions. We are ready for extensive cooperation, which, as the example of Allegro shows, is not only possible, but brings tangible results in the form of top-down blocked transactions. A patient who does not receive an illegal offer to sell a drug will not buy it and will not endanger his health and sometimes his life. Patient safety, including online safety, is the highest value for GIF, " Ewa Krajewska argues.

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