2023-08-09 01:00:09
The Albatros Operation carried out by Cofepris lasted four days and the objective was to identify counterfeit medicine sales locations.
After making 55 verification visits, 23 pharmacies were suspended.
The main failures that were detected were the sale of controlled medicines without authorization and possible counterfeit and/or adulterated medicines and irregularities in control books.
As part of its constant operations, the Commission for the Protection against Sanitary Risks (Cofepris) suspended more than twenty pharmacies for the commercialization of counterfeit and/or irregular medicines. In addition, it was identified that these spaces sold controlled drugs without requesting a prescription.
In this sense, health is one of the most monitored areas due to its relationship with all other fields. It is not a minor issue because even in recent years it has become one of the objectives of illegal trade.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the Faux drug use causes up to a million deaths each year. In addition, it is an activity that generates millions in losses for pharmaceutical companies and established businesses.
Cofepris carries out one of the largest operations in search of counterfeit medicines
In this context, Cofepris carried out a great health operation called Albatros in the state of Quintana Roo. Due to the territorial extension that it covered, the number of personnel assigned and the distribution of strategic tasks in the territory, it was conducted by specialized verifiers from the Operation and Sanitary Authorization commissions in coordination with naval personnel. In the end, 55 establishments were visited in the municipalities of Cancun, Solidaridad–Playa del Carmen and Tulum.
❗️ #Find out | More than 20 pharmacies suspended by Cofepris and Marina during Operative Albatros, in Quintana Roo
As part of the sanctions, the following were executed: total suspension of activities, partial suspension of activities and product seizure
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In response to various citizen complaints, an operation of unprecedented dimensions was designed in a region of the country that receives millions of national and foreign tourists every year, for which information on various health irregularities was received and analyzed.
The tasks on land were carried out during four days with simultaneous visits in the municipalities of Cancun and Solidaridad–Playa del Carmen. Subsequently, they were expanded and the results are summarized in 23 suspensions and 21 drug seizures, in addition to a sample of drugs that will be analyzed by this commission to evaluate possible counterfeiting, adulteration, or even the presence of fentanyl.
Pharmacies suspended by Cofepris due to the sale of counterfeit medicines
As part of the sanctions, the following were executed: total suspension of activities, partial suspension of activities, and product seizure in the following pharmacies:
Playa del Carmen–Solidarity: PDC Pharmacy, PDC Pharmacy 10.2.
Tulum: Drugstore Pharmacy, Farmacia Tulum Centro III, Farmacia Tulum Coba, Farmacia Tulum Europea.
Cancun: Cancun Cristal Pharmacy, Cancun Tortugas Pharmacy, Cancun Forum Pharmacy, Cancun Coba Pharmacy, Simas Pharmacy, Drugstore Pharmacy.
The most common failures that were identified
Among other irregularities that the verifiers registered are accentuated: lack of health license; controlled drugs without proof of legitimate possession; There is no traceability in the management of controlled medications. Also lack of legal documentation from suppliers; control books without the signature of a health officer; medical prescriptions without patient data, without dates, prescriptions without the doctor’s signatures; sale of medicines without sanitary registration; non-prescription sales receipts; expired medication for more than a year, among others.
The verifiers identified that many times the establishments sell the irregular and non-prescription medication only to foreigners. Additionally, the existence of advertising cards that inform the geolocation of pharmacies and telephone numbers through which medication can be requested at home was detected, highlighting that drugs prohibited for sale in Mexico and others can be purchased without a prescription when it should be required. .
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