Corporate Social Engagement and Sustainability

Patient organizations and other voluntary patient groups play a major role in informing and mentally supporting patients. The Pharmaceuticals division committed to the development of new, innovative therapies for serious and chronic diseases, supports these organizations in their work.

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Counterfeit medicines have become a serious international problem in recent years. Patients cannot ignore the fact of counterfeiting medicines, even in countries where there are strict legal requirements for the manufacture and distribution of pharmaceutical products, such as when buying online or abroad.

Counterfeit medicines can endanger the health of unsuspecting users or even endanger their lives. Only properly informed patients can protect themselves from risks and can be sure that they will receive the optimal treatment for their illness.

The primary purpose of counterfeiters is to sell a product that can be confused with the original based on its appearance. However, it is not in their interest to ensure that the counterfeit product also contains the right ingredients. With a little exaggeration, they can also produce their products in their own garage, without caring about the detailed and strict legal and professional regulations that apply to the production of quality medicines. If we take this as a basis and do not deal with non-existent research costs, we can see that counterfeiters benefit enormously from manufacturers of original products. Given that the risk of real penalties is relatively low in many countries, it is easy to see that the production of counterfeit medicines can be more profitable than the smuggling of illegal pharmaceutical products. Although counterfeit medicines are often produced in small garage laboratories, the perpetrators and supporters of such crimes often form a professional criminal network.

Unlike other forms of piracy and counterfeiting (e.g., clothing, illegally copied CDs, etc.), patients who purchase counterfeit drugs may think in good faith that they have purchased the original product. Counterfeiters, therefore, usually obtain patients' money without the slightest concern for their health or life.

As defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers (IFPMA) the falsified medicinal product is on which label the identity and / or source of the product have been intentionally and fraudulently misrepresented.

Simply said, these are medicines that do not come from the original manufacturer or are not delivered to the patient in the original form. After production changes to the quality of a medicinal product that have been properly and legally implemented do not fall into this category. A ranging from “complete” counterfeits produced by counterfeiters to original products that has reached the end of its useful life but has been improperly say not extended by the manufacturer. Counterfeit medicines include products:

• which contain the corresponding active ingredient but are too high or in low doses, 

• which have changed their expiration date, 

• which do not contain an active substance, 

• which contain the active substance, but which do not correspond to those indicated, 

• which are sold with false packaging, shrink wrapping and / or instructions for use. 

Unfortunately, such “medications” are often not identifiable by the layman or the doctor or pharmacist without further information.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that less than 1 percent of medicines sold in Europe, the United States, and similarly developed countries are counterfeit. However, the situation is quite different in developing countries. According to experts, up to ten percent of pharmaceutical products sold there may be counterfeit.

The problem is typically more severe in countries with weaker regulatory control.

A rather special situation has developed in Hungary. A distribution of medicines takes place in a very strictly regulated and controlled, closed chain, so in pharmacies - as opposed to Germany, for example! - no counterfeits. Based on newspaper ads, and on the Internet, however, anyone can access anything. For the time being, counterfeiting of medicines in Hungary can be estimated at 3-5 percent of the total turnover, but European trends show that this proportion will increase.

Ensuring the closure of the pharmaceutical supply chain is currently the most effective and well-known form of the fight against falsified medicines. The essence of this is that all members of the trade chain must have an official permit issued by Hungary and the pharmacovigilance authorities of other EU Member States. This officially licensed activity is constantly monitored by the given authority.

The domestic legal trade in medicines is strictly regulated. The National Institute of Pharmacy monitors the path of the drug to the pharmacy, the quality, efficacy and safe use of the drugs, as well as the adequacy of the manufacturing sites and the activities of the pharmaceutical wholesalers. The ÁNTSZ itself supervises the retail distribution of medicines (pharmacies, specially licensed retail stores).

We recommend that you obtain your medicines in Hungary from a licensed location. Hit becomes necessary, in other EU member states, only buy in such a place, or if you travel outside the EU, redeem your medicines in advance in Hungary and take them with you.

In all cases, make sure that the information about the medicine comes from an authentic source, e.g. from a healthcare professional.

Never buy a medicine through unlicensed drug sales channels, e.g. at street vendors, markets, the Internet, parcel delivery services.

Read more >> here about medical counterfeits.

Counterfeit or illegally marketed plant protection products, like pharmaceutical products, pose a significant risk to both humans and the environment due to their quality deficiencies. The proportion of counterfeit products in the plant protection market is between 5 and 10 percent.

Bayer actively addresses the issue of counterfeiting to minimize the negative impact on the health or lives of unsuspecting patients, customers or users. All members of the Bayer Group work closely with the responsible regulatory authorities, judicial authorities and customs authorities.

Counterfeit products and imitations not only pose a risk to people and the environment, but also cause enormous economic damage. Such piracy can undermine innovation opportunities and marketability, leading to the loss of jobs and tax revenues worldwide.

Bayer Crop Science supports the fight against illegal plant protection products through participation in regional and global federal committees, such as the European Plant Protection Association's Anti-Counterfeiting Expert Group and the CropLife International Anti-Counterfeiting Operational Group. [Anti-Counterfeiting Steering Committee]. As a result of intensive cooperation with national and international authorities, large quantities of counterfeit plant protection products were seized and destroyed in Hungary in 2009.

In order to take effective action against illegal plant protection products, Bayer Crop Science regularly organizes internal regional workshops.

Bayer CapSeal - QR code and related application to detect counterfeits

Bayer has introduced the 3rd generation of caps for pesticide bottles. The novelty is a seal with a hologram and a QR code, which allows you to easily and quickly verify the origin of the product. In addition, a damaged seal indicates that the bottle has previously been opened and should never be purchased as a precaution. The new CapSeal App, which can be downloaded to smartphones, introduces the new security features of the seal.

Read more >> https://capseal.bayer.com/

The packaging materials for Bayer Crop Science’s pesticides carry special distinctive features that allow customers to distinguish between genuine and counterfeit products.

Advances in manufacturing technology, the easing of trade laws, and loopholes in customs inspections are making it possible to produce and trade in such potentially dangerous products. Illegal herbicides, insecticides or fungicides are now illegally produced and distributed in the context of organized crime, with very high profits, estimated at more than EUR 1 billion a year in Europe alone.

Unlike authorized products, which undergo rigorous independent testing before they are placed on the market, illegal plant protection products are neither tested nor fit for use. There is no guarantee that a counterfeit product will contain what is on the label, and this is a fact that could have detrimental consequences for crops and human health. The use of illegal plant protection products puts farmers at risk in several areas: crop degradation, high health risks, as they may be exposed to the use of hazardous substances, and damage to their reputation.

Residues can also reach consumers through food. Such products are not backed by a responsible company and are therefore not designed to provide the highest level of protection for human health and the environment. Therefore, the global trade in illegal plant protection products is a growing problem for customs, judicial authorities, farmers and the industries involved in the food production chain and plant protection.

Read more >> here about counterfeits in agriculture.

Energy efficiency summaries on local language:

• Energy efficiency summary 2023
• Energy efficiency summary 2022
• Energy efficiency summary 2021
• Energy efficiency summary 2020
• Energy efficiency summary 2019