Governments pledge to clamp down on counterfeit drugs

International action to clamp down on counterfeit medical products has been given a boost after a dozen countries signed up to the Council of Europe’s “medicrime” convention on 28 October.

The convention is the first major international treaty to make it a criminal offence to deal in counterfeit drugs and devices. It requires signatories to have the necessary criminal law in place to detect and punish any crimes detected.

Kristian Bartholin, the Council of Europe official who helped draft the convention, said that it is not intended to protect intellectual property rights, as these are already adequately covered by existing legislation. Nor does it cover the regulation of the safety and effectiveness of drugs, as this is a European Union and national responsibility.

“We want to do …