Israel joins world effort to halt counterfeit drug sales
Purchasing prescription medications via the Internet, newspaper advertisements or from any source other than licensed pharmacies is dangerous, according to the Health Ministry, which together with the Israel Police has seized thousands of pills suspected of being counterfeit.
The effort by the police and the ministry's unit against pharmaceutical crime was part of an international law-enforcement campaign now being carried out in coordination with the World Health Organization (WHO) aimed at combating the smuggling of counterfeit medications and those not approved for marketing as well as protecting public health.
By JUDY SIEGEL-ITZKOVICH
16 November 2008