Real-Life Dangers: the Risks of Falsified Medicine

When fake medicines enter the marketplace, there's no telling where they might have come from. The risk of buying falsified or otherwise unreliable medicines from unregulated online pharmacies can run as high as 50 %, according to recent studies by WHO.

There's no doubt that falsified medicines can be lethal.

100 Die in Lahore Due to falsified Heart Medicine

In January 2012, government-run clinics in Pakistan unknowingly administered contaminated medicine to 40 000 patients. The Punjab Institute of Cardiology purchased the drugs from local suppliers with no regulatory oversight.

Patients who received the falsified medicine ended up with an acute blood disorder that led to them bleeding from the mouth and the urinary tract. At first, the authorities suspected a Dengue fever outbreak, and it was only after several weeks that the contaminated medicines were identified as the cause. It may never be known how many doses of the contaminated drug were sold, or where else in the world they ended up.

Cancer Patients Miss Out on Chemotherapy Doses

A drug has been hailed as a breakthrough treatment for cancers of the brain, colon, kidneys and lungs. Unfortunately, that means that it's a high-profit item for criminals who make and sell falsified medicines.

In 2012 and 2013 the FDA issued warnings that some batches of that drug in use in the United States were from unregulated online retailers. These batches contained none of the cancer-fighting ingredients found in the authentic medicine.

Cracking Down on Falsified Medicine

The Falsified Medicines Directive is aimed at protecting the safety of EU citizens by ensuring that falsified medicines do not make it into the legitimate supply chain. However, falsified medicine is a worldwide health problem, causing deaths, ruining lives and even undermining the attempt to eradicate malaria. By buying only from registered online pharmacies and medicine retailers, you are not only protecting your own health, but also helping to prevent this deadly illegal trade.

 

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Last updated on 16/12/2020