Medicrime refers to the international convention developed by the European Council to combat counterfeit drugs and drug-related crime. The aim of this convention is to ensure the safety and efficacy of drugs and to protect public health by preventing and combating the illegal manufacture and distribution of counterfeit drugs. Counterfeit drugs are a multi-billion-dollar business that poses a major threat to already vulnerable patients. It is often linked to organized crime and brings substantial profits with a relatively low risk of being caught. In addition, the previous legislation provided for comparatively lenient penalties compared to trafficking narcotics, for example.

The most important aspects and objectives of the Medicrime Convention (German translation: Medicrime-Übereinkommen) include:

• Protection of public health: The convention aims to prevent harm caused by counterfeit drugs and medical devices (German: Medizinprodukte) that may be ineffective or dangerous to patients.
• Criminal liability for counterfeiting drugs: The convention sets forth guidelines and rules for the criminal liability of acts relating to counterfeiting drugs, including their manufacture, distribution and putting them into circulation.
• International cooperation: The convention obligates EU member states to cooperate in uncovering, investigating and combating crimes in the medical field as well as in sharing information and experience.
• Prevention of counterfeit drugs: The convention contains measures to prevent counterfeiting drugs (translation into German: Fälschung von Arzneimitteln), including measures to secure and control drug supply.
• Stricter penalties: The convention provides for stricter penalties for those involved in the illegal manufacture and distribution of drugs, including imprisonment.

The Medicrime Convention was adopted in 2011 and came into force in 2016. It is the first international legal instrument to deal with the counterfeiting of drugs and helps to strengthen international cooperation and combat this threat to public health.

As pharmaceutical interpreters, we are happy to assist you with your foreign-language GMP inspection and ensure flawless communication. We are also your go-to contact when large volumes of pharmaceutical documents need to be translated. We also offer various types of consultancy services, representation of foreign pharmaceutical companies and distribution of their products in Germany.