The MEDICRIME Convention: criminalising the falsification of medicines and similar crimes

Trade in falsified/counterfeit medical products is a growing global criminal industry, posing a major threat to patients and healthcare systems. Falsified/Counterfeit medical products circulate via unregulated channels, especially the Internet. The Council of Europe’s ‘Convention on counterfeiting of medical products and similar crimes involving threats to public health’ [1] is the first international treaty that establishes a legal framework for combating this trade. It provides for the criminalization of certain acts, protects the rights of victims of the offences, and promotes national and international cooperation.