Rapid Responses to:
|
|
Rapid Responses: Rapid Responses published:
-
![[Read Rapid Response]](/icons/misc/sectionDOWN.gif)
Fakes aren't restricted to Nigeria.
- Steven L. Zeitzew (23 March 2002)
-
Spurious Drugs for Real Money
- Dr. Vikas Dhikav, New Delhi-110029, India (19 August 2003)
|
|
|||
|
Steven L. Zeitzew, Chief, Orthopaedic Surgery West Los Angeles Veterans Administration Healthcare Center
Send response to journal:
|
Fake drugs in America don’t seem to worry these same health experts enough. Homeopathic “drugs”, the contents would have to violate the laws of physics and chemistry to actually contain an active ingredient, and Herbal Supplements, which the law here does not require to be proved effective or proved safe, are being sold in great quantities in the United States of America. American health experts have not particularly been worried over the influx of these fake drugs, though they endanger the public’s health. The Food and Drug Administration said that someone else is responsible. “When people are taking these fake drugs – what they are taking is rubbish – some of them die, caveat emptor.” The fakers don’t have to be very smart. The law is on their side. Identical appearing packaged pills are marketed under completely different standards of efficacy depending on whether the marketers call them drugs, supplements, or homeopathic drugs. There was an increase in reported cases of patients harmed by these fake drugs. Unscrupulous local manufacturers are also involved in the racket. By definition 100% of homeopathic drugs are fake. During congressional hearings on aging last year a number of experts advised legal protections against the sale of substandard “drugs” in America. There is no cooperation from the American Government. There is no effort to maintain a uniform standard of safety and efficacy of pills and potions prior to their being marketed. American homeopathic and supplement manufacturers remain involved in fake drugs. The national agencies charged with control of these “drugs” have no plans to visit and inspect manufacturing plants or otherwise certify purity and potency of these products. There are no plans to institute pre- shipment inspection or scientific study of supplements and homeopathics. It’s as bad here as in Nigeria! "The contents of this message are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the Government or the Department of Veterans Affairs." |
|||
|
|
|||
|
Dr. Vikas Dhikav, Resident All India Institute of Medic al Sciences, New Delhi-110029, India
Send response to journal:
|
Spurious Drugs or fake drugs are a global problem. They are a cause for concern for all those who are working in health sector such as doctors, pharmacists, nurses and health regulators alike. The worse affected is the consumer who gets entrapped in the web of fake drugs with no respite. India is probably the biggest of all markets for spurious drugs accounting for huge economic losses and untold fatalities. The reason why it is easy to produce and sell fake drugs in this countries is that laws are lax, judicial system ineffective, and there is widespread corruption. This attracts the drug producers and sell the medicines cheaply to chemists who are only pleased to sell the drugs due to big profits involved. The ultimate looser is patient and the doctor who is treating him\her because patient would not get relieved or cured and the doctor's reputation would be damaged as a result. This industry in India accounts for over 4000 crore rupee business (over 1 $ billion) which is one fifth of the total turnover of pharmaceutical industry in the country. World Health Organization in one of its report said that every third fake drug is made in India. This situation is definitely alarming. Health minister of India has recently suggested capital punishment for those who are found guilty. Would that deter the makers? That remains to be seen if the resolution is passed and that becomes a law which is reinforced effectively. At present, the more pressing problem is how to make patients and doctors aware about identifying the fake drugs. Sad issue is that doctors do not know how to recognize which drug is fake; leave aside the patients. Here are some of the tips: a) Fake drugs are poorly printed covers; while the real drugs have proper and sharp printing b) Fake medicine may not contain full particulars like batch number, expiry date and date of manufacturing etc; while the real medicine would indicate all this clearly c) Fake medicine may resemble in name to some of the most popular brand; while the real drug comes with the company seal and spellings are clearly and legibly written d) Some generic drugs may be spurious; one should be aware about them as well. The what is the way ahead? The prevention lies in the fact that if the existing laws are reinforced uniformly and stringently, patients and doctors are made aware and educated, if the guilty manufactures are caught and punished accordingly then this menace can be curbed to a large extent. Competing interests: None declared |
|||