U.N. CITES PRESCRIPTION-DRUG ABUSE

LONDON -- The abuse and trafficking of prescription drugs is set to
exceed illicit-drug abuse, a United Nations body said, and it warned
of a potential flood of counterfeit medicines onto the global market.
In its annual report, the Vienna-based International Narcotics Control
Board said in some parts of the world abuse of prescription drugs has
already surpassed that of traditional illicit drugs such as heroin and
cocaine, and is second only to cannabis in the U.S.

The group said unregulated markets, such as drugs sold over the
Internet or through mail order, have expanded rapidly, and pose a real
threat to public health. The U.N. body said the illicit pharmaceutical
market includes genuine and fake drugs, and the increased demand for
prescription drugs will boost trade for illegal vendors.

Hamid Ghodse, a member of the INCB, said in an interview that
prescription-drug abuse may have already exceeded that of traditional
illicit drugs in Europe, and said the Internet has fueled the demand.
Prof. Ghodse said the ease of access for buying drugs online has
created dependents, and he called for greater regulation.
"Pharmaceutical companies need to make sure the retailers and
wholesalers are above board, and providers of the Internet servers
need to regulate, along with the governments who have a major role,"
he said. He added that "some people become unwittingly dependent on
those drugs they get on the Internet." The World Health Organization
estimates that 10% of the total drugs on the global market are
counterfeit, while 25% to 50% of medicines consumed in developing
countries are counterfeit.

In the U.S., the abuse of prescription drugs has surpassed that of
heroin, cocaine, ecstasy and methamphetamine, while in Scandinavia,
strong demand for the sleep-disorder drug Rohypnol is increasingly
being met by counterfeit production.