Hungary Toughens Regulations on Counterfeit Drugs

A new amendment to the Hungarian law on counterfeit medication, increasing the fine for production, distribution and trade of unlicensed medicines, entered into force on March 1, 2011, according to the Hungarian National Anti-Counterfeiting Board (HENT).

The amendment prescribes a fine of EUR 367 (USD 510) for unlicensed production and distribution of fake drugs and authorizes law enforcement officers to confiscate the drugs immediately. The new regulations also prescribe fines and seizures for those found in possession of medicines withdrawn from the market, unlicensed in Hungary, or those found with prescription drugs exceeding a single patient’s demand.

Krisztina Szekely, head of HENT’s medical products anti-counterfeiting action group, said the amendment is only the first step in applying much stricter measures against medicine counterfeiters across the EU.

For more information, please contact Masa Lopicic at our Balkan Regional Office.

Source: Budapest Business Journal