Illegally imported medicinal products in 2017: caution required with prescription-only medicines
Berne, 9.2.2018 - At the request of Swissmedic, the Swiss Agency for Therapeutic Products, the Federal Customs Administration last year seized 1,060 shipments of illegally imported therapeutic products. This means that the total has risen slightly compared to the previous year (2016: 1,028). Erectile stimulants remain at the top of the list of illegally imported substances, followed by medicines with the potential for dependence (psychotropic agents, sleeping tablets and tranquillisers) and other medically important drugs. As in 2016, the majority of illegal shipments were from India, with Singapore and Germany in second and third place. Shipments from Eastern Europe have increased, including a 40 percent rise in illegal imports from Poland.