Monarchy of counterfeit drugs towards global health care terrorism
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The document discusses the global issue of counterfeit drugs, highlighting the challenges faced by countries, especially those with weak regulatory systems, in combating this threat. It identifies major source countries for counterfeit pharmaceuticals, such as China and India, and notes the increasing prevalence of counterfeit drugs even in developed nations. The World Health Organization has initiated efforts to address counterfeiting, but there is a call for a global treaty to effectively combat this health care terrorism.
Monarchy of counterfeit drugs towards global health care terrorism
- 1. Journal of Pharmacy and Alternative Medicine www.iiste.org ISSN 2222-5668 (Paper) ISSN 2222-4807 (Online) Vol 1, 2012 Monarchy of Counterfeit Drugs towards Global Health Care Terrorism Tariq Mahmood1* 1. Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy and Alternative Medicine, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, 63100, Pakistan * E-mail of the corresponding author: [email protected] Drug faking is shaping towards realm for global health care system. It is very difficult for any agency or country alone to grip this impasse which is being governed by many manufacturers who sell their fake medicine with advanced sophistications. Counterfeit drugs have rarely been proved as efficacious; rather these drugs have been associated with serious adverse effects. Major problem is seen with antibiotic resistance. Effect of this kind of terrorism is felt both by country of manufacture to country receiving these medicines. It has been said that counterfeit drugs have traditionally been more of a concern in developing regions (mostly Africa and Asia), where regulatory and enforcement systems for medicines are weak. However, counterfeiting has become more and more prevalent in developed countries as one example is being coded here. A company in Hollywood, Florida claimed for its product “Slim Xtreme Herbal Slimming Capsule” as 100 % natural remedy for weight loss, while he Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is advising consumers not to purchase or use “Slim Xtreme Herbal Slimming Capsule,” a product for weight loss sold on various websites. One report says US counterfeit drug seizures up 200 per cent in 2011. So it will be difficult to assume that matter is persistent only in developed world. Many underdeveloped countries have tried to combat with counterfeiting for example Nigerian National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) is the government agency in Nigeria that is fully empowered to regulate and control the importation, exportation, manufacture, advertisement, distribution, sale and use of drugs in order to ensure that safe and quality drugs are available to the public. They concluded that they were unable to grip this threat of counterfeiting. When we talk about primary source of counterfeit medicines and goods China remained the primary source of counterfeit pharmaceuticals. The top 10 source countries - in descending order - were: China; Hong Kong; India; Pakistan; Taiwan; Switzerland; Malaysia; South Korea; UK; and Mexico. Counterfeiting is accomplished usually by two major ways; by international mail and express courier services for transporting illegal merchandise and the continued growth of websites selling counterfeit goods directly to the public. WHO took a global initiative in 2006 in the form of IMPACT— the International Medical Products Anti-Counterfeiting Taskforce. Much is being talked from the IMPACT forum that how to define counterfeiting and ways to eradicate it. But some countries like India, Brazil and some NGO’s are not agreed with the work offered by IMPACT. Its areas of focus are: • Legislative and regulatory infrastructure • Regulatory implementation • Enforcement • Technology • Communication There is need to hearten the theme that there should be some world treaty organization to counteract with this global health care threat of counterfeit medicines. 1
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