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" A new report has revealed Europe&amp;#039;s market for counterfeit medicines to be worth more than &#128;10.5 billion (\u00A39.1 billion) every year. Research commissioned by Pfizer found that the black market economy generated by illicit medicines was extensive throughout the 14 European countries studied. Nearly two-fifths of Germans surveyed admitted to buying prescription-only medicines from illicit sources, along with 37 per cent of Italians, 30 per cent of Spaniards and Norwegians, and 27 per cent of Austrians. The findings are concerning, as previous research has indicated that the majority of medicines bought from online sources are fake and may contain harmful ingredients. Dr Berkeley Phillips, medical director of Pfizer, commented: &amp;#039;This research points to a clear need for greater public awareness and education across Europe. &amp;#039;The UK has already taken significant steps towards this, with the launch of a hard-hitting public awareness campaign - &amp;#039;Get Real, Get a Prescription&amp;#039;. But it&amp;#039;s crucial everyone understands about the dangers presented by accessing medicines from outside the legitimate healthcare system.&amp;#039; Earlier this month, the Irish Medicines Board revealed that more than 42,000 potentially illegal tablets were seized in 2009 in a drive to crack down on the online sale of counterfeit medicines. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/healthy-living/news/a19211/study-shows-scale-of-counterfeit-medicines-market/>