Costa Rica Steps Up Enforcement Against Illegal Pharmaceuticals

By IDEAS

In a growing challenge to public health and IP enforcement, Costa Rica has recorded a 662% increase in the trafficking of unregulated and potentially counterfeit pharmaceuticals between June 2024 and June 2025, according to officials from the Ministries of Security and Health.

Authorities seized 366,947 illicit drug units during this period—up from just 48,000 the previous year—highlighting the sharp expansion of fentanyl and sedatives such as ketamine in the illegal market.

This trend raises concerns not only about drug safety and unauthorized distribution, but also about intellectual property violations, as many of the seized medications—including antibiotics, analgesics, and dermatological products—are likely to be falsified or unlicensed generics, infringing on trademarks and regulatory exclusivities held by pharmaceutical rights holders.

The largest single-person seizure in recent years occurred in the northern district of Los Chiles, near the Nicaraguan border, where a foreign national was found transporting over 57,000 medical units without Ministry of Health authorization. The joint operation by the Border Police and Health Ministry was carried out on June 13, 2025, and uncovered a clandestine cargo of controlled medicines, herbal products, tobacco, and cosmetics—most of which were being distributed in breach of Costa Rica’s pharmaceutical and sanitary regulations.

Health professionals and regulatory bodies have warned that such illegal circulation undermines legal supply chains, exposes consumers to toxic or ineffective compounds, and facilitates the resistance to antibiotics due to uncontrolled use. The Costa Rican College of Pharmacists has urged the public to verify the legality of medical products before purchase.

This development underscores the importance of cross-border IP enforcement, market surveillance, and customs collaboration, especially as international trafficking networks increasingly target high-value, IP-protected medicines. It also demonstrates Costa Rica’s commitment to upholding sanitary law and public safety, while providing a model for the integration of health, IP, and security policy frameworks to combat pharmaceutical crime.