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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| European Parliament approves fake medicine directive | European Parliament approves fake medicine directive |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| A new directive to protect patients from fake medicines has been approved by the European Parliament. | A new directive to protect patients from fake medicines has been approved by the European Parliament. |
| It paves the way for new safeguards including extra safety features on drug packaging and new measures for internet pharmacies. | It paves the way for new safeguards including extra safety features on drug packaging and new measures for internet pharmacies. |
| An estimated 1% of medicines sold to the public in Europe through legal channels are fake. | An estimated 1% of medicines sold to the public in Europe through legal channels are fake. |
| Experts say they are "silent killers", either because they do not work or contain harmful substances. | |
| The 27 EU governments - the Council - will now study the directive and they can still make amendments before it becomes law. The final text will then be incorporated into national laws EU-wide within two years. | The 27 EU governments - the Council - will now study the directive and they can still make amendments before it becomes law. The final text will then be incorporated into national laws EU-wide within two years. |
| The National Pharmacy Association, which represents community pharmacists in the UK, said the legislation aimed to reduce the risk of counterfeit medicines reaching patients by introducing a product authentication system and new safety features on packaging. | The National Pharmacy Association, which represents community pharmacists in the UK, said the legislation aimed to reduce the risk of counterfeit medicines reaching patients by introducing a product authentication system and new safety features on packaging. |
| The key to the system is a two-dimensional barcode added to prescription medicines that can be read by a new scanner. | The key to the system is a two-dimensional barcode added to prescription medicines that can be read by a new scanner. |
| Charles Willis of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society said: "We believe that this is something that the UK Government must buy into and is good for every patient." | Charles Willis of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society said: "We believe that this is something that the UK Government must buy into and is good for every patient." |