Counterfeit prescription drugs a deadly problem

Those Americans demanding the US government to allow citizen's access to foreign prescription drugs should heed the concerns of the world's foremost health organization. According to the World Health Organization's definition a counterfeit medicine "is one which is deliberately and fraudulently mislabelled with respect to identity and/or source.

Counterfeiting can apply to both branded and generic products and counterfeit products may include products with the correct ingredients or with the wrong ingredients, without active ingredients, with insufficient active ingredients or with fake packaging."

It is estimated that one in 20 pharmaceutical products on the market is counterfeit, with the number rising to one in three in some developing countries.

Counterfeit pharmaceuticals are manufactured and distributed by criminals, companies or individuals who have the desire to make money unlawfully. They may contain too much, too little or no active ingredient, the wrong ingredients or high levels of impurities, contaminants and even toxic substances. They could be reject or out-of-date formulations withdrawn from the market which are obtained by counterfeiters, relabelled as bona fide product and introduced back into circulation. They have killed and injured thousands around the world.

The consequences of such counterfeits can vary. They can either fail to treat the illness or condition for which they are being taken (resulting in prolonged illness or death and wastage of valuable healthcare resources) or they can be the direct cause of death by containing lethal ingredients. Whether they fail to promote or restore health, or are the direct cause of death, they are fast becoming a global menace — both to their unwitting consumers and to the pharmaceutical industry as a whole.

Participants at the Global Forum on Pharmaceutical Anticounterfeiting in Paris recently demanded increased cooperation at all levels and a framework convention to fight counterfeiting of medicines. Combating counterfeit drugs requires the involvement of all parties in the healthcare and pharmaceutical delivery system, placing the onus on manufacturers, all supply chain stakeholders, patients and health professionals as well as regulators and law enforcement to mobilise against fake medicines. Counterfeit drugs penetrate health systems throughout the world, both in industrialised and in developing countries.

The problem is compounded in Europe, where free trade in pharmaceutical products exists. Governments can and do set different pricing, leading to hugely divergent prices between countries such as Greece and Sweden. This encourages parallel imports, which in turn allows counterfeit products to be introduced.

The same could apply to other regions of the world, notably Africa, according to participants from Nigeria and Ghana.

With increasing access to potentially lethal medicines at cheap prices over the internet, Jim Thomson, CEO of the Centre for Mental Health in the United Kingdom, warned of the "loaded gun" that fake drugs represent:

"Potent substances are freely available on the internet and can be ordered easily without any prescription and any authentication of sources, making the public vulnerable to health hazards and public health vulnerable to growing anti-microbial and drug resistance. Because technology has advanced so quickly, it is possible to imagine a diagnostic kit that is sold or preferably supplied at the manufacturer's expense with a prescription drug so that patients can test the drug for authenticity before they take it."

"As long as the fight against counterfeits is not a concerted effort, criminals will be able to exploit the loopholes in the system," says Ian Lancaster, Director of Reconnaissance International, specialists in anti-counterfeiting strategies and organizers of the Global Forum. "The fight includes prevention measures by manufacturers, communication and effective education of professionals and patients, and ensuring that punishments are appropriate to this deadly crime."

 

Jim Kouri, CPP is currently fifth vice-president of the National Association of Chiefs of Police and he's a staff writer for the New Media Alliance (thenma.org).  In addition, he's the new editor for the House Conservatives Fund's weblog. Kouri also serves as political advisor for Emmy and Golden Globe winning actor Michael Moriarty. 

He's former chief at a New York City housing project in Washington Heights nicknamed "Crack City" by reporters covering the drug war in the 1980s. In addition, he served as director of public safety at a New Jersey university and director of security for several major organizations.  He's also served on the National Drug Task Force and trained police and security officers throughout the country.   Kouri writes for many police and security magazines including Chief of Police, Police Times, The Narc Officer and others. He's a news writer for TheConservativeVoice.Com and PHXnews.com.  He's also a columnist for AmericanDaily.Com, MensNewsDaily.Com, MichNews.Com, and he's syndicated by AXcessNews.Com.   He's appeared as on-air commentator for over 100 TV and radio news and talk shows including Oprah, McLaughlin Report, CNN Headline News, MTV, Fox News, etc. 

To subscribe to Kouri's newsletter write to COPmagazine@aol.com and write "Subcription" on the subject line.