The menace of counterfeit medicines

Although the Drug Regulatory Authority is striving to curtail the fake drug trade, the problem still persists

We are all aware of the fact that medical stores across Pakistan sell counterfeit medicines that have resulted in the deaths of hundreds in the past. Prepared in unsanitary and unregulated conditions, often with toxic ingredients, the production and selling of counterfeit medicines is a racket that puts patients’ lives at risk. It seems that the government has failed to rescue people from the clutches of the counterfeit drug mafia. Fake medicines fail to treat ailments as these may include products with the wrong ingredients or without active ingredients.

I have had personal experience with fake medication. I purchased medicines prescribed by my doctor from a medical store in my neighbourhood and took them as prescribed. After taking them for three days, I realised that the medicines seemed to have had no effect on my condition. Instead, it was getting worse. I felt dizzy and suffered from constant headaches.

I went to my doctor again and informed him of my condition. He told me that the prescribed medicines were the best in curing the illness, but feared that the ones that I bought might be counterfeit. He advised that I should purchase the same medicines from some other shop.

I acted on his advice and went to a well-known medical store on Stadium Road in Karachi. I took the medicines for two days and they worked.  Later, I visited the shop in my locality and inquired where the store workers had purchased the medicines from. They informed me that the company’s sales agents supply them and insisted that the shop only purchases original ones. After arguing for a while, I left and decided to highlight the matter.

In the past, several such incidents have been reported where people have died after consuming counterfeit drugs. One such incident took place in Lahore in 2012 in which over a hundred people died. However, many such incidents go unnoticed. Although the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan is striving to curtail the fake drug trade, the problem still persists. The menace of producing fake medicines has not only plagued Pakistan, but is a global problem and cases are reported in virtually every region of the world. The federal and provincial governments must take responsibility to counter and curb such evil practices, but it is also our responsibility, as citizens, to raise our voices over such issues and expose the wrongdoers.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 31^st, 2015.