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Dr Yves Dour (Doctor of Pharmacy)
This is an alert from the National Medicines Safety Agency (ANSM): pre-filled pens falsely labeled as Ozempic, an antidiabetic based on semaglutide, were found at wholesalers in the European Union and the Kingdom -United. What is the risk of ending up with a counterfeit medicine? Doctissimo interviewed Dr Yves Dour, pharmacist member of the expert committee.
This is information from the European Medicines Agency which the National Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Health Products (ANSM) echoes: falsified pre-filled pens, falsely labeled as being Ozempic (semaglutide , 1mg, solution for injection), have been found at certain wholesalers in the European Union and the United Kingdom.
As a reminder, this treatment, intended for patients suffering from type 2 diabetes, has also been widely misused for its weight-loss properties.
Easily identifiable fake pens
According to the ANSM alert message, relayed by the Order of Pharmacists, falsified pens would be easily identifiable. “The data matrix code on the boxes of these falsified pens, which can be scanned by the pharmacist, triggers an alert beep” explains Dr Yves Dour, pharmacist member of the Doctissimo expert committee. “In fact, these are boxes of original pens which are recovered to package these fake pens, they have already been scanned, so when they are scanned a second time, this is reported to us”. The other way to identify a fake pen is by its appearance, which is not a true copy of the original.
No alerts reported in France
For the moment, Germany, Austria and the United Kingdom are the three countries where falsified pens have been found at distributors. In France, no alert has yet been reported. “The drug circuit is very controlled in France, it is unlikely that we will find these pens in pharmacies and even less likely that a patient leaves with them. estimates the pharmacist.
As a precaution, however, the ANSM calls on all players in the sector to be vigilant. It also provides an email address [email protected], in the event of suspicion of a falsified pen.