Published recently in the PLoS Medicine, Paul Newton from the University of Oxford with colleagues argues that public health issues, and not intellectual property or trade issues, should be the prime consideration in defining and combating counterfeit medicines. They say that the World Health Organization (WHO) should take a more prominent role. The authors advocate that an international treaty on medicine quality, under the auspices of the WHO, could play a key role in the struggle against counterfeit and substandard medicines. The authors comment that: “Counterfeit medicines should be defined in terms of harm to health, with punishments appropriate for the injury or killing of patients.”

There is a growing tendency to buy medications online such as Viagra for example, this is not only common, but is a safe and convenient way to access the treatment for erectile dysfunction. However, it should always be stressed that only genuine manufacturers’ medicines should be bought online from trusted registered pharmacies.