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We are seldom aware of the medicines we buy as long as we have a prescription and we are buying it from a known and trusted pharmacy. As long as it matches the name of the medicine prescribed to us, we trust its legitimacy.
Although any of the medicines can be counterfeited, economics and the high-demand for medication urge counterfeiters to target a more expensive set of medicines sold in clinics, the internet and the gray market.
Online pharmacies are rampant in which medicines can be ordered even without a prescription. In 2014, more than a thousand sites were closed by the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) after it was found out to be operating illegally. More than 60% of online pharmacies sell counterfeit or substandard medicines. With more than a hundred of health-related sites, some under the pretense of other industries or lures with “free prescription or advice”, the authorities are having a hard time to trace every single one down.
To prevent the production and distribution of counterfeit medicines, the United States congress has passed the Ryan Haight Online Pharmacy Consumer Protection Act 2008. The main goal is to prohibit dispensation and distribution of fraudulent medicines in the internet without prescription.
The United States is not the only country that operates against counterfeiting. Different governments have also employed non-profit organizations to educate the public of the dangers of online drug scams. The Peterson Group is one of the few who are operating in the Asia-Pacific regions.
Despite the efforts though, we are not only exposed to counterfeited medicines through the internet. Industrial pharmacies are also prone to medical bogus.
There are times when legitimate manufacturers cannot cope to the demand of a certain medicine. Counterfeiters break into the market with their own set of fake medicines and supply pharmacy chains with expensive medicines which are in fact substandard. Pharmacies are often fooled since they act in desperate need for alternative suppliers. Records include the likes of Tamiflu which was dispensed during the influenza season in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Planning for drug shortages minimizes, if not prevents, penetration of fake medicines in the legitimate market. A lot of guidelines have been provided for pharmacies for inventory management. Certain warnings are also integrated in pharmaceutical pharmacies which include proper stockpiling, monitoring and supervising.
National Association Board of Pharmacies (NABP) has a voluntary accreditation program for wholesale distributors: the Verified-Accredited Wholesale Distributors. Criteria include review of operating procedures, licensure verification, survey of facility and operations, background checks, and screening through the NABP Clearinghouse. Accredited facilities are reviewed annually and undergo a site survey every 3 years.
