Counterfeight medications, drugs that have been "deliberately and fraudulently mislabeled with respect to identity, composition and/or source," are on the rise around the world, with Asia leading the way in counterfeit drug production. People looking for convenience or lower prices on prescription medication have driven the rapid growth of Internet medication sales, and counterfeiters have taken advantage of the anonymity provided by the Internet to pump huge volumes of counterfeit drugs into the market. In addition, the demand for large quantities of life-saving medications in developing countries has spurred the production of counterfeit drugs worldwide.
An "epidemic of counterfeits" is evident in Southeast Asia, where 53% of antimalarials tested during a recent sampling were fake. While preventive measures like the spraying of DDT can drastically reduce the transmission of malaria, once the disease is contracted, antimalarial medicines are critical for treatment. Counterfeit drugs are dangerous not only to those who ingest the drugs with adulterated chemical compositions but also to society as a whole because their weakened potency -- due to the lower doses of real antimalarials they sometimes contain -- encourage the growth and spread of medication-resistant strains of the disease.
Counterfeiting goes beyond antimalaria medication to include antibiotics, tuberculosis drugs, AIDS medications, and meningitis vaccines. They are produced on a massive scale, using sophisticated technology to make the counterfeit drugs indistinguishable from the real thing except during chemical analysis. Even the holograms on the packaging and secret ultraviolet logos on the pills themselves are being replicated down to the finest detail. Criminal organizations with experience in these matters are trying to cash in on pharmaceutical profits, "following the money," as is their custom.
Counterfeit drugs prevent people from receiving life-saving medicine and also expose them to potentially harmful substances. Counterfeiting results in a loss of confidence in the medical system. Since 80% of the world's nations, pharmacology experts estimate, lack drug agencies capable of detecting sophisticated counterfeits, it is no wonder large organizations like WHO and the Global Fund are actively searching out ways to protect the world's drug supply.
In the United States, it is exceptionally rare to find counterfeit drugs behind pharmacy counters, but drugs sold on the Internet are certainly a risky purchase. A study in 2005 showed that 85% of Internet drugs purported to be from Canada actually came from any of twenty-seven other countries including India, Costa Rica, and Vanuatu. It is important that those who still want to purchase their medications online patronize the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy's Verified Internet Pharmacy Practices webpage, since no other websites have been verified as legitimate pharmacies dispensing genuine product.
Julianne Chickering is a research associate at the American Council on Science and Health (ACSH.org, HealthFactsAndFears.com).
For more information on counterfeit drugs, please read our publication Counterfeit Drugs: Coming to a Pharmacy Near You.
