You have heard an alarm raised by NAFDAC on fake drugs – including anti-asthma inhaler, pain-relieve, and blood pressure drugs – in the market. As a part of Platforms Africa’s solution journalism series, we present what Dr. Omotuyi Mebawondu said on the “six Ps” to consider for you not to be a victim of fake drugs that kill 500,000 people yearly in Africa. The health expert speaks at Platforms Africa e-Discourse where he revealed how he, as a Youth Corper in Shendam General Hospital in 1992, detected that the repeated renal failure in children was caused by an adulterated Paracetamol Syrup. Excerpts;
Look out for the “six Ps”:
Place – Never buy medicines from unknown locations, whether on or off line. Buy medicines only from licensed suppliers who display an authenticity certificate.
Prescriptions – Only buy medicine that has been prescribed by your doctor or healthcare professional. Do not buy from websites that offer prescriptions on the basis of questionnaires or do not have a contactable pharmacist.
Promises – Be wary of pharmacies that offer “too good to be true” promises. False promises to watch out for are “cures all types” of a major illness, “money-back guarantee”, “no risk” or “limited supply – buy in advance”.
Price – Check the price against products you usually buy or with reputable providers. If it is substantially cheaper, it is likely to be a fake.
Privacy – Use secured places only. Don’t buy from hawkers whether online or off line. The trade in fake medical products has also been linked to credit card fraud and identity theft. Do not reveal any personal information beyond appropriate medical details.
Product – Compare the medicines against your usual prescription. A medicine is fake if:
It contains too much, too little or any different ingredients;
Claims to have different properties or side-effects;
Has a different shape, size, taste, or colour;
Is not correctly labelled or not labelled at all;
Has an out-of-date or missing expiry date;
Does not contain information on how to store the medicine;
The packaging looks poorly constructed or appears to have interfered with;
There are spelling or grammatical errors on the packaging or instructions.
Aside fears of wrong pescription, there have been reports of fake drug inflow into Africa. What should we know about this?
We all need to stand up against fake and counterfeit medication, supplements and even medical devices.
The International AntiCounterfeiting Coalition (IACC) estimating a value of more than US$ 600 billion annually (IACC, 2009) for fake drugs. Today, counterfeit goods are found throughout the world, not just in Africa. This a huge amount that will attract every criminal enterprise.
Nearly every observer and researcher on the hunt for these dangerous fakes will point to two primary culprits: China and India as the origins.
These two countries account for 60 to 80 percent of fake antimalarial drugs. These are the countries with huge influences and “investments” in Africa.
The counterfeiting industries also extend to choice drinks and wines!
In Subsaharan Africa, fake drugs account for more than 500,000 deaths annually and any drug especially expensive and popular ones can be faked
For me, drug faking deserves capital punishment.
If the issue of fake drugs is a big problem, what should our governments do?
Simple:
Increasing Pharmacovigilance, empowering relevant agents like SON, NAFDAC to do their work.
Engaging the countries of origin of these substandard drugs to prevent production and shipping.
Our borders and ports are/ in dire need of non compromising, diligent people.
Like I said earlier, if you can fake drugs and distribute the same to the general population, you deserve death punishment.
As a Youth Corper in Shendam General Hospital in 1992, I detected that the repeated renal failure in children was caused by an adulterated Paracetamol Syrup. It was a very sad moment for me then losing those children.
I guess the culprit was finally apprehended, factory closed and the person jailed.
What are the tips for people to avoid buying fake drugs?
Quick check include:
Check the packaging, shape, size, batch numbers, including manufacture and expiry dates.
Scratch the verification code and send for authentication. Look at the labelling.
This edition of e-Discourse, a weekly event organised by Platforms Africa, a forum created by award-winning African journalist, Adeola Yusuf, is moderated by Accra, Ghana-based veteran journalist, Francis KOKUTSE
