The head of the Medicines Division of the Chambers of Commerce in Egypt, Ali Auf, confirmed that the drug through social networking sites in Egypt had become widespread, and the Corona virus pandemic contributed to this, so the Egyptian state had to move to eliminate this phenomenon, as he put it.
Pharmaceutical factories
Auf pointed out that the Egyptian state had banned a famous health website after the Egyptian Pharmacists Syndicate filed a case against it, explaining that it “won’t be the last”, and that all concerned parties are fighting these electronic medicines.
The head of the Medicines Division of the Chambers of Commerce explained that there are many provisions in the law for the practice of the profession of pharmacists that have “severe faults”, according to his description.
Pharmacists’ Practice Law No. 127 of 1955 stipulates that the only place licensed to sell medicine is a medical facility licensed by the Medicines Authority and pharmaceutical factories.
Auf affirms that “selling medicines via the Internet and social media sites in accordance with the law is illegal, and it must be addressed.”
The head of the Medicines Division adds: “The second fault is that whoever sells medicines in places other than the ones stipulated in the law will be fined 100 Egyptian pounds.” He continued, “Therefore, those who sell these medicines over the Internet always neglect the penalty and are lenient in cheating the medicine and the death of the citizen.”
He reveals that “the patient who buys the drug online and delivers it to his home, does not know where it is manufactured or how it is stored. These products are counterfeited using international pharmaceutical companies and trademarks, and ultimately they are manufactured in unlicensed factories and workshops.”
The head of the Medicines Division identified Al-Awar III as doctors who advise patients to purchase specific drugs through specific sites, calling for “tightening of control, toughening of punishment and new legislation for the law of practicing the profession.”
Economy in the billions
On the other side; The director of the Right to Medicine Center, Mahmoud Fouad, believes that the electronic drug trade leads to disasters, as it is an economy parallel to the state’s economy that no one knows about.
He continued, in exclusive statements to “Sky News Arabia”: “This trade contains a large number of violations, such as tax evasion, selling without inspection, without supervision, and unregistered medicines,” describing it as a “global crime.”
Fouad points out that “during the Corona pandemic, we were surprised by these applications in addition to non-specification drugs, which falls under Penal Code 181 of the Egyptian Consumer Protection Agency because they are all unknown deceptive advertisements.”
He added, “The Egyptian state moved behind these entities several months ago, amid calls for the Consumer Protection Agency to stop the activity of electronic drug sales, and a letter was sent to the Egyptian General Media Authority to prevent the publication of advertisements for these drugs,” revealing that “Egypt is preparing to issue legislation for these entities and fight them.”
The director of the Right to Medicine Center announced that there are “18 applications that are advertised besides the undeclared and the pages of selling medicines through social networking sites, as these medicines work to move the price of medicine priced by the state.”
At the end of his speech, he called for “fighting these entities and legalizing them that citizens accept due to their low prices without knowing the composition of these drugs.”
.