“SFDA regulations totally forbid the buying of online medicines. We closely coordinate and cooperate with Saudi customs and Saudi postal services. Parcels containing medicines are not allowed to enter the Kingdom without being checked by the authority,” said Bawazeer.

He added that medicines enter the Kingdom through 11 land, sea and air entry points where 40 pharmacists are stationed to check all imported medicines are in line with international standards and specifications before being permitted to enter.

“The authority also has 250 pharmacists which monitor markets, hospitals and any locations where medicines are available to ensure there are no fake medicines anywhere in the Kingdom,” he said.

Bawazeer added that, according to studies, fake medicines in the Kingdom do not exceed more than 0.5 percent, which is very little.

Director of Saudi Interpol Maj. Gen. Muhammad bin Ali Al-Zibin recently said the phenomenon of counterfeit medicines is not new but has been on a recent rise due to the widespread use of the Internet.

In a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency, Al-Zibin said that about 30 percent of medicines in some regions of Asia, Africa and Latin America might be fake. “There are efforts now by a number of countries, Interpol and the World Health Organization to uncover the criminals behind these medicines and to bring them to justice,” he said.

He added that international efforts have resulted in the seizure of a large number of fake medicines, the arrests of a number of criminals and the closure of several websites.

He also warned against buying medicines over the Internet or while traveling abroad. “Fake medicines can be very perilous and damaging to the health," he said.