After an investigation, the Healthcare and Youth Inspectorate (IGJ) has imposed fines on 11 pharmacies and a pharmaceutical wholesaler for illegal trade in medicines. This concerns various medicines that have been traded with a combined turnover value for the pharmacies of € 2.2 million. These medicines were mainly brought back onto the market in Germany and England.
The illegal trade largely took place in the period 2019-2021. The pharmacies purchased medicines from Dutch pharmaceutical wholesalers. Instead of providing them to their patients, they sold them to another wholesaler. This wholesaler then sold the medicines to another wholesaler and from there they went to Germany and England. This mainly concerned expensive medicines, which have limited availability in the Netherlands and are much more expensive in Germany and England. Pharmacies and wholesalers made large profits from this illegal resale.
A pharmacy may sell medicines to individual customers but not to wholesalers. In addition, medicines intended for patients in the Netherlands may not be resold abroad without a permit. In addition, medicines that are traded outside the regular distribution channel are considered a risk to the patient, because the quality and safety of these medicines can no longer be guaranteed.
The investigation into these pharmacies and wholesalers is the follow-up to an earlier investigation in 2021 and 2022. At that time, fines were imposed on 13 pharmacies and a wholesaler. During that investigation, the IGJ saw that the name of another wholesaler was also mentioned and started a follow-up investigation. As a result, enforcement action was taken again.
The pharmacies and wholesalers involved have received fines in recent months with a maximum of €22,500.
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