The 7th edition of the “Patient Safety through Safe Medicines” Conference, organized by OSMR in partnership with the National Agency for Medicines and Medical Devices of Romania (ANMDMR), took place on March 24th, 2026, in Bucharest.
This year’s edition marked the official launch of the national awareness campaign “Falsified medicines can kill!”, alongside the introduction of the dedicated information platform www.medicamentesigure.ro, developed to support patients in identifying safe sources for purchasing medicines and understanding the risks associated with falsified medicines.
The discussions focused on the growing risks associated with falsified medicines, particularly in the online environment, and on the importance of public awareness in preventing their consumption.
A central point of reference was the study “Attitudes of the Romanian Population Towards Falsified Medicines” (2025), which continues to highlight important gaps in public knowledge and risk perception:
- 1 in 10 Romanians would knowingly consider using falsified medicines under certain conditions
- 7% believe falsified medicines have fewer side effects
- 12% consider them more effective than original medicines
- Only slightly more than half of respondents can correctly identify key characteristics of falsified medicines
These findings underline the need for sustained public information efforts, such as the campaign launched during this year’s conference.
The conference also highlighted the evolution of the National Medicines Verification System (NMVS), now 7 years after becoming operational:
- Over 3.7 billion medicine packs uploaded to the system
- Approximately 1.06 billion transactions annually
- A consistently low alert rate of 0.03%, below the European target
The event brought together high-level representatives of national and European institutions, international organizations, and the pharmaceutical sector, who addressed the challenges posed by falsified medicines and emphasized the importance of cooperation between authorities, industry, and patients.
