The World Health Organization estimates that counterfeit drugs account for about 10% of the global drug supply, with the percentage much higher in developing countries.
The alarming number comes from the 2009 edition of the booklet “Counterfeit Drugs: Coming to a Pharmacy Near You,” released earlier this year by the American Council on Science and Health (ACSH). Among the reports findings are the following:
• The risk of fake, adulterated medicine is even greater when drugs are purchased from unregulated online sites. Some of these, ostensibly “Canadian,” have been found to actually be located in China and other poorly regulated regions.
• The FDA has no ability to control the safety of drugs purchased through these channels, and studies have found that as much as 88% of drugs being imported into the U.S. violate FDA safety standards and are potentially dangerous.
• Consumers should pay attention to the appearance and packaging of their prescription drugs for any unusual changes in shape, size, or color, or for sudden changes in the effectiveness of a medicine.
• Efforts to address the counterfeit problem through drug pedigrees, new anti-counterfeiting technology, and increased licensing of wholesalers hold promise but must be combined with aggressive enforcement.
The report is available on the ACSH Web site by entering “Counterfeit drugs” in the quick search area. http://www.acsh.org/publications/pubID.1773/pub_detail.asp
The American Council on Science and Health (ACSH) is a consumer education consortium concerned with issues related to food, nutrition, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, lifestyle, the environment, and health. ACSH is an independent, nonprofit, tax-exempt organization.
