3. Detecting counterfeit drugs

3.1 The problem of counterfeit drugs

The precise definition of counterfeit medicines is still the subject of much debate. For a long time, it was limited to the infringement of intellectual property rights, as with any other type of counterfeit, without taking into account the particular nature of the phenomenon, which affects public health, and therefore its danger. The World Health Organization (WHO) recently adopted a broader definition, grouping together under the generic terminology SSFFC (substandard, spurious, falsely labeled, falsified, counterfeit) medicines, but also vaccines and diagnostic products, that are substandard, spurious, falsely labeled, falsified and counterfeit.

To put it more simply, the term "counterfeit drug" currently encompasses...