In a survey conducted by the Swedish Medical Products Agency on behalf of the government, the agency identified 122 sites targeting Swedish consumers that sell medicines illegally. The sites claim to be approved pharmacies but sell products that are not legal or regulated.
Weight-loss pills, potency-enhancing drugs and narcotics top the list, says investigator Martin Burman at a press conference.
The survey shows that some of the products are mixed and finished in Sweden. Raids have been carried out against, among other places, basement premises where injectable drugs were being manufactured in unsanitary conditions.
If it sells prescription drugs without a prescription, it is not a real pharmacy, says Jakob Forssmed.
Most major pharmacy chains in the country have had their logos hijacked and sometimes their names have been used on fake pharmacy websites.
Minister for Social Affairs Jakob Forssmed (KD) says at the press conference that there is a clear connection between the illegal sites and organized crime.
Currently, the penalty is one year in prison for violating the Medicines Act. Low sentences and high profits are driving forces for organized crime, says Tomas Nilsson, investigator at the Medical Products Agency.
The Swedish Medical Products Agency advocates that the government investigate whether the penalties for violations of pharmaceutical legislation should be increased and whether a new crime category for serious crimes should be introduced. The agency also wants to be able to make anonymous test purchases on websites that market illegal medicines.
