The number of product recalls and safety alerts for pharmaceutical products and medical devices more than quadrupled in the UK between 2004 and 2008, a study by customer management agency Blueview Group reveals.
The study, which pulls together UK and EU figures, shows that over the five-year period starting in 2004, recalls and product alerts in the pharmaceutical sector rose from 22 to 94. The biggest year-on-year jump during the period came between 2006 and 2007 when the totals almost doubled from 42 to 81.
Nearly two-thirds (62%) of these recalls are owing to defects in the manufacturing or performance of a medical device, the report reveals. Another 12% are the result of incorrectly labelled or packaged goods, and 9% are due to compromised sterility owing to packaging errors or poor structural integrity.
Only 5% of product recalls or safety alerts in 2007 were counterfeit products and none was a fake product in 2008, but Blueview Group found that this seemingly encouraging statistic gives a false sense of security.
In 2007, the European Commission reported a five-fold increase in fake pharmaceuticals across Europe, with 2006 seizures hitting an all-time high of 2.5 million items. This increase in counterfeit drugs and the growing sophistication of counterfeiters are a constant source of concern for drug manufacturers, prompting more research into new technologies and strategies to protect the pharmaceutical supply chain effectively.
"The rise in recalls in the pharmaceutical sector is a worrying trend for consumers," said Darren Ponsford, strategy and planning director of Blueview Group.
"In order to deal with customer queries and concerns effectively, and mitigate brand damage, pharmaceutical companies need to ensure that they have contingency service arrangements in place in the event of a product recall or safety alert."