The answer lies in a straightforward case of risk
versus benefit for those who produce and market counterfeit products. A counterfeiter may make 2,000 times more
profit from selling fake medicines than he or she would by selling Class A
narcotics, with minimal risk of capture or prosecution. The reality is, with 50,000
dollars’ worth of raw materials, tablet pressing, blister-packing and
printing equipment - all easily available online - the counterfeiter is in
business. Marketing is equally
straightforward, with an attractive website easily drawing in vulnerable
purchasers from across the world.
As to why counterfeit medicines are so widely
purchased, it seems that the main reasons people go online to purchase their
medications include convenience, to save time and to save money, not realising
that in so doing they risk their health whilst also supporting criminal
activity.
It
is impossible to accurately quantify the extent of counterfeit medicines. But it has been estimated that one percent of
medicines in the developed world, including the USA and Europe, may be
counterfeit, whilst in developing nations it has been suggested that between 10
percent and 50 percent of medications may be counterfeit.
