Counterfeit drugs are a global problem that entails manufacturing drugs that are advertised as existing, legal drugs that have been FDA approved and selling them to buyers that are either cannot afford the genuine medicine or those who are looking for great discount prices. The counterfeiting of drugs is hurting the people of Africa and can be seen in the country of Ghana, as $200 million is lost each year on revenue collection, but it is estimated to leave an impact on the global economy of $75 billion by 2010. Furthermore, counterfeit drugs have been directly linked to the deaths of a multitude of people worldwide in the form of vaccines, cough syrups, anti-malarial drugs, and the like. These drugs are so dangerous to victims because they either have no active ingredients or contain harmful substances. Ghana is planning to combat counterfeit drugs by allowing buyers to call and enter a code found on the drugs to confirm whether they are authentic or not. Other technological possibilities are: registering drugs electronically and allowing for more advanced testing facilities. These methods for controlling medicines that are not genuine does not cover drugs purchased personally on the internet.
Although the methods of controlling counterfeit drugs aforementioned are not foolproof and do not cover every drug, they are a step in the right direction as they are sure to improve conditions and ultimately decrease deaths. The methods Ghana have and plan to adopt on controlling counterfeit drugs will eventually be surpassed by counterfeiters, but they need to put pressure on them to show that it will not be tolerated, improving both the wellbeing of Ghana’s citizens and its economic stability.
Article originally found on google news.
http://news.myjoyonline.com/health/200809/20025.asp
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