Over the years, the EU single market has made it possible for pharmaceuticals to be imported and exported freely amongst the member states of the union. Part of the pharmaceutical distribution system is a practice known as parallel trade. This activity takes place when a pharmaceutical is imported from a third country without the permission of the IP owner. It usually exploits a pricing differential between a home and a foreign market.
With Brexit looming and the coming into force in 2019 of the Falsified Medicines Directive, the market for pharmaceutical distribution is changing.
This conference will look at all aspects of pharmaceutical distribution chain and parallel trade, including the enforcement of intellectual property rights. The meeting will also explore the consequences of e-commerce on patient safety and the way in which currency fluctuations are likely to disrupt the flow of drugs within the EU and beyond.