What
is counterfeit medicine?
Counterfeit
medicine is substandard, ‘fake’ medicine that fails to meet
explicit, scientific specifications. Perhaps
due to negligence, human error or insufficient resources, counterfeit medicine
may be contaminated or contain incorrect ingredients or dosage. It is illegal and can be harmful. According to the World Health Organisation
(WHO) counterfeit medicines are those “… that are deliberately and fraudulently
mislabelled with respect to identity and/or source.” Some medicines
look so similar to the genuine product that even healthcare professionals may
be deceived.
Such
medicines may be branded, or presented as generic products used to treat a wide
spectrum of conditions, from life-threatening illnesses to common headaches. Some contain the wrong ingredients which can
include toxic substances, others have no or insufficient active ingredients -
or too much. Their use could potentially poison the
individual, or may mean that treatment fails.
Both of which can, in extreme cases, cause death.
Counterfeit medicines are found all over the world
and are always illegal. They are
recognised by the WHO and EU institutions as a growing threat to the
public and a life-threatening phenomenon.
