Home » Opinion » Foreign Views
Fighting fake medicines is business for all
Print Edition
WHEN we are ill and we take some medicine, each of us probably has the same mixed feelings of relief and hope that it will make us feel better.
We rarely think that it might not actually work because the pill is fake.
And yet, fake medicines — whether sold directly over the Internet or infiltrating the local pharmacy, hospital or store — represent a threat, putting both patients and the general public at risk.
Fake medicines are a global problem: they are reported in virtually every region of the world. One percent of medicines available in the developed world are likely to be fake.
This figure rises to 10 percent globally, but in some areas of Asia, Africa and Latin America fake medicines may account for up to 30 percent of medicines in circulation. It is also estimated that one medicine in two purchased on Internet sites that hide their physical address is fake.
Behind these statistics are stories of real people like you and me who face personal tragedies. In 2011, fake cancer medication caused eye infections in 61 people in China.
Crime against patients
Fake medicines are first and foremost a crime against patients. People believe they are taking genuine medicines but instead are at risk of further illness, disability or even death.
However, these harmful products also have wider implications: beyond personal tragedies, they put the health of whole communities in danger by exposing them to greater drug resistance, which means standard treatments become ineffective. Fakes also undermine the functioning of healthcare systems.
As CEO of the International Council of Nurses, I know how important the trust of patients is to nurses who want to do their best and see their patients recover quickly.
If they receive a fake medicine, they may lose faith and confidence in healthcare professionals who try to help them.
A wide range of pharmaceutical products can be and have been counterfeited: lifesaving medicines for malaria, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, cancer, heart diseases as well as “lifestyle” medicines, for erectile dysfunction and weight loss.
My goal is not to scare you. My goal is to make us all vigilant. The first step is increased public awareness about fake medicines and their serious effects.
By “public” I mean all of us acting in coordinated ways, as we’re doing through the Fight the Fakes campaign that brings together individuals and organizations around the world and at all levels of society to help make people aware.
I believe that if we are all aware of the existence of fake medicines and the dangers they pose, we will be better at putting pressure on our governments, and all those involved in the manufacturing and distribution of medicines, to coordinate actions to tackle this public health threat on a global level.
David Benton is the CEO of the International Council of Nurses (ICN).
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
