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Introduction: Every civilized state has the duty to its citizens to create an effective health care system, a necessary component of which is the use of safe and high-quality medical products. This duty is based both on the standards of international law and national constitutional norms and principles. The spread of falsified medical products poses a global threat to public health, can lead to death or cause significant harm to human health. Given the extreme risk of such acts, there is a need to create and operate an effective criminal law mechanism to combat such acts. The aim: The purpose of the article is to study the existing criminal law mechanism to combat the falsification of medical products at the international, regional and national levels (Poland and Ukraine as an example), as well as to develop proposals for improving of such a mechanism. Materials and methods: This study is based on the empirical and analytical data of the WHO, the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, the Council of Europe Convention on the counterfeiting of medical products and similar crimes involving threats to public health (The Medicrime Convention), criminal legislation of Ukraine and Poland, General Prosecutor’s Office data on the criminal liability of those who committed falsification of medicines. Totally 28 laws and papers, 25 court judgments were analyzed. Dialectical, comparative, analytic, synthetic and system analyses research methods were used, also for interpretation purposes. Results: Falsification of medical products worldwide is characterized by high prevalence and is one of the highly profitable activities of transnational organized crime. Therefore, an effective counteraction to these crimes is impossible through isolated actions by one separate State and requires the establishment of a multi-level integrated mechanism to combat this phenomenon. The criminal law mechanism, as a necessary component of abovementioned mechanism, should be established at the international, regional and national levels. An analysis of the situation in Poland and Ukraine showed that the falsification of medical products is quite common in these countries, but national criminal legislation and practice of its implementation needs improvement. Conclusions: There is a need to create and implement an effective criminal law mechanism (at international, regional and national levels) to combat the spread of falsified medical products. At the international level, in order to increase the effectiveness of this mechanism, we fully support the EU initiative to amend the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, which would establish additional liability for the falsification of medicines. Improving the criminal law mechanism to combat the falsification of medical products at the European regional level requires intensifying of The Medicrime Convention ratification process and full implementation of rules on criminal liability for falsifying medical products into national criminal legislation. At the national level, it is necessary to improve both the criminal legislation and the practice of its implementation, to intensify the activity of law enforcement agencies to combat these crimes, to ensure a fair trial and effective criminal penalties for those who have committed a crime of falsifying medical products.

The aim: This article aims to raise awareness and stimulate serious discussion about the dangers of illegal Internet pharmacies for patient safety and public health, the necessity to improve legal instruments, and unite the efforts of governments, professional organizations, and civil society for combating this activity. Materials and methods: This study is based on the Medicrime Convention, empirical and analytical data of the WHO, Interpol, Europol, NABF, Directive 2011/62/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of June 8, 2011, the regulatory acts and juridical practice of Ukraine, experts interview of pharmacy practicians, analysis of websites. Totally 18 laws and papers, 34 court judgments, 50 websites were analyzed, six experts were interviewed. Dialectical, comparative, analytic, synthetic, system analyses and sociological research methods were used. Results: Illegal Internet pharmacies are widespread in Europe, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. This black market poses a severe threat to patient safety and public health as falsifying, substandard, and smuggled medicines are sold through these channels. Without any exception, all illegal pharmacies sell prescription drugs without any prescriptions. Regulatory and protective legal instruments at the national and international levels are insufficient to counter the Internet trade in medicines. Conclusions: The widespread proliferation of illegal Internet pharmacies in Europe requires European states to work together to protect patient safety and public health. A legal mechanism needs to be established to exchange information and combat illegal pharmaceutical activities on the Internet at the international level. At the national level, it is necessary to strengthen control over the wholesale of prescription medications to prevent them from entering the black market.

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Author analyses quite a sensitive issue for society -white-collar crime in Ukraine, defining the optimally probable model of criminal liability. The white-collar shadow economy level is rather high in Ukraine -45.96 % of the GDP and correlates with the respective data of Nigeria. The author's approach can be related to two aspects: first, prevent excessive criminalization activities; second, effectively punish white-collar criminals.