Beware of fakes: how to distinguish real medicines from fake ones
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Has the medicine you are taking stopped helping, even though it used to work effectively? Maybe instead of improving your health, you feel worse? Most likely, it is worth reviewing the treatment scheme, for this – consult a doctor. However, there are other possible reasons, one of which is a low-quality drug or a fake. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), every tenth drug in low- and middle-income countries, including Ukraine, is counterfeit or of poor quality. Fraudsters counterfeit absolutely everything: from ordinary painkillers to expensive drugs. But most often, these are scarce or expensive medicines for serious diseases, the use of which can lead to serious health consequences and even death. Is it realistic to bring unscrupulous sellers to justice and how to distinguish original drugs from counterfeits? What is considered a fake and how to recognize it: 5 tips According to the WHO classification, a fake can be: drugs that do not have an active substance; preparations in which all substances are present, but it is not known under what conditions and technologies they were obtained; drugs in which a more expensive substance is replaced by a similar, but lower cost. Low-quality medicines are divided into categories: manufactured at certified pharmaceutical enterprises, but with violation of technologies; repackaged medicines whose shelf life has expired; drugs, the contents and packaging of which were deliberately falsified in underground shops. The last two groups of medicinal products pose the greatest threat to human health. That is why, warned means armed. So, we suggest you familiarize yourself with universal tips on how to distinguish an original from a fake. Therefore, check: Integrity and appearance of the package Look carefully at the package: it must be intact, the printing on the package and the instructions must be clear, without defects. Also check the appearance of the pills themselves: there should be no cracks or discolored, unusual smell. Labeling Check the labeling on the blister or ampoules with the information on the box and in the instructions. The following must match: the name of the medicinal product, the name and address of its manufacturer, registration number, batch number, the dose of the active substance in each unit and their quantity in the package, the expiration date, and storage conditions. Availability of state registration of the drug. Check whether the drug is in the State Register of Medicinal Products at this link. You can also use the “Liki Kontrol” mobile application to check medications. Drug quality certificate If you have any doubts, ask the pharmacy about the presence of a drug quality certificate. Check the labeling on the purchased package with the certificate data. We also advise you to keep the receipt until you have completely used the medicine. Pharmacy license Check if there is a license in the consumer’s corner. Check if the name and address match. We advise you to buy medical products not on the Internet, in Telegram channels, Viber chats or from strangers, but only in proven network pharmacies that have been working on the Ukrainian market for a long time or to order on legal sites. Fighting counterfeiting: not caught – not a thief In Ukraine, there is a three-level system of quality control of medicinal products: imported medicinal products are inspected upon importation into Ukraine, then the inspection is carried out by distributors and directly by pharmacy chains (if medicines are supplied to pharmacies) and Medical Purchases of Ukraine and the State Medical Service ( if the drugs are centrally purchased and given free of charge to patients in hospitals). Before delivery to health care institutions, the Medzakupivel team performs a visual inspection of the drugs, and for some drugs, if necessary, a quality control laboratory analysis conducted by the State Medical Service. That is, you can not worry about the quality of medicines that you receive free of charge in hospitals. However, the culture of self-diagnosis and self-prescription of drugs in Ukraine has led to the emergence of hundreds of unregulated sites, communities and channels that sell low-quality or falsified drugs. At the legislative level, criminal liability is provided for such illegal activity, namely from 5-8 years behind bars to life imprisonment with confiscation of property, if the drug led to the death of the patient or other serious consequences. However, in practice, there are almost no real cases of bringing the culprits to justice. In particular, over the past 8 years, Ukrainian courts have opened about 200 proceedings regarding the falsification of medicines, of which only three (!) verdicts have been passed. Why does this happen? There are a number of reasons for this, including imperfect legislation, the difficulty of proving the seller’s guilt and the nature of the crime (a counterfeit can reach the seller through numerous dealers and couriers), the underdeveloped practice of criminal prosecution, etc. This gives rise to impunity and an increase in cases of falsification of medicines, the real number of which in Ukraine is not known for certain. That is why it is worth starting with legislative changes and strengthening control over the circulation of drugs. In addition, it is worth adopting the European experience in the fight against counterfeiting and introducing mandatory 2D coding of medicines in Ukraine. Such a drug verification system will prevent counterfeits from entering the market. However, while these initiatives are only being discussed in government offices, we advise you to do your own check-up of what we use, to be responsible for your health and to buy medicines only in verified pharmacies or to get them free of charge in hospitals. Keep yourselves! Maria Morozova, head of the category management department of Medical Procurement of Ukraine, especially for UP. Life Publications in the “View” section are not editorial articles and reflect exclusively the author’s point of view
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