Penalties for Drug Falsification Vary Widely Between EU Members

Punishments for falsification of medicines in the European Union vary significantly between EU member states, according to a study carried out for the European Commission.

The 2011 Falsified Medicines Directive called on EU member states to announce specific punishments they would impose on citizens who violated the directive, noting the punishments should be “effective, proportionate and dissuasive.”

Maximum prison sentences vary widely between EU members, the study found. For example, Finland and Sweden’s maximum prison sentences for the falsification of medicinal products are one year, while sentences of up to 15 years are imposed in Austria, Slovenia and Slovakia.