Enforcement actions
The Medicines Enforcement section led by Senior Enforcement Officer Mr Martin McIlveen, is required to fulfill its specialist responsibilities in regard to ensuring compliance with medicines legislation in both human and veterinary fields.
Its aim is to protect public health and, where appropriate the public purse, by addressing all illegal activities involving human and veterinary medicines and their availability, manufacture, import, possession, sale, supply and administration, including substances of abuse controlled under Misuse of Drugs legislation.
Cases can involve the illegal importation, possession or supply of medicines by doctors, dentists, pharmacists, other health service professionals, veterinary surgeons and by individuals. Where cases involving professionals are proven, these also result in automatic referral to the respective professional body for disciplinary action.
Recent investigations include:
- Advertising of prescription only medicines to the public;
- The production and distribution of counterfeit medicines;
- Unauthorised importation and diversion of medicinal products from and into legal distribution networks;
- False or misleading medicinal claims for unlicensed products and
- Identification of products which have been adulterated with prescription only medicines.
It should be noted that sanctions under the Medicines Act 1968 are, on indictment, up to two years in jail and/or an unlimited fine.
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