[Counterfeiting of medicines, as a life threatening world tendency].

Application of counterfeit medicines is extremely dangerous, because neither their quality, nor their efficacy and the circumstances of their preparation are known. The most effective and well-known fight against counterfeit medicines is the assurance of closed medicine supply chain. In the present study beside the review of the anti-counterfeiting technologies, combined oral contraceptives purchased out of pharmacy were examined from the point of counterfeiting. Based on the results of the study it could be concluded that the medicines contained the correct ingredients, but the examined products were not marketing authorized in Hungary.