How Many Drugs are Actually Counterfeit?
What is Being Done?
by www.SixWise.com
Counterfeit drugs, which may contain no active ingredient,
a wrong active ingredient or be contaminated, are a growing
health threat in the United States and worldwide, says the
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Drug shipments are often traded between wholesalers
before they reach your pharmacy, making it nearly impossible
to track down where they originally came from.
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Up to 10 percent of drugs worldwide are thought to be counterfeit,
according to the FDA, while in some developing countries counterfeits
may make up over 50 percent of the drug supply.
Increasingly, counterfeit drugs are being sold online, and
the FDA recently issued a warning to consumers about 24 related
Web sites that are reportedly selling counterfeit drugs. However,
the Internet is not the only method used to sell counterfeits;
fake drugs have also been obtained from reputable U.S. pharmacies.
Why Counterfeit Drugs are a Lucrative Bet for Criminals
Federal forecasters predict that spending for prescription
drugs in the United States will reach nearly $498 billion
by 2016. This is more than double the amount spent in 2006.
With this kind of massive profit potential, criminals can
make a fortune just by cashing in on a sliver of the market.
"Some of the experts are telling us it's more lucrative
to sell a counterfeit drug than it is a narcotic such as heroin,"
said William Hubbard, FDA's former associate commissioner
for policy and planning, in a WebMD article.
Often, the drugs most at risk of being counterfeit are those
that cost the most, such as those used to treat HIV/AIDs and
cancer patients, which can cost thousands of dollars per prescription.
It May be Impossible to Know Where Your Drugs Come From
Always inspect your medications before taking them.
If anything seems different (taste, smell, appearance,
packaging) contact your doctor or pharmacist.
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Three prescription drug wholesalers handle about 90 percent
of the drugs sold in the United States. Drugs are supposed
to travel from the factory, to a reputable wholesaler, and
then on to your pharmacy.
However, about 10 percent of drugs are handled by any number
of "secondary-source" wholesalers before they reach
the pharmacy. While even the three major U.S. drug wholesalers
sometimes trade drug shipments back and forth and could end
up with counterfeits, many of the fake drugs come out of the
smaller wholesalers.
By the time drug shipments are passed between several of
these operations, it becomes nearly impossible to track the
original source.
To help combat phony drugs, state and federal governments
are looking to implement an ePedigree program that would document
a drug's travels from factory to consumer. Both federal and
state governments have recommended radio-frequency
identification (RFID) as the best method to keep track
of the drug supply.
The legislature has yet to be passed on a federal level,
but as of November 2006, at least 10 states had passed legislation
on ePedigree.
How to Protect Yourself From Counterfeit Drugs
A nationwide ePedigree system is being touted as the best
way to radically reduce, or even eliminate, counterfeit drugs
in the United States, but until that happens drugs -- even
those from well-known pharmacy chains -- may be at risk.
One way you can protect yourself from phony drugs is by reducing
your dependency on and need for drugs in the first place.
Simply adopting a healthy lifestyle -- with plenty of nourishing
foods, exercise and happiness -- will go a long way toward
keeping you feeling great without
a need for medications.
If you must take prescription drugs, you can keep an eye
out for potential counterfeits by:
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Double-checking your medication before you take it. Examine
the appearance, smell and packaging for changes.
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Taking
note of side effects/effectiveness of the drug. Did
it feel differently when you took it?
If you think you may have come across a counterfeit drug,
you should notify your doctor or pharmacist and can also report
suspected counterfeit drugs online to the FDA.
Recommended Reading
Illegal
Drugs Identification Chart: What They Look Like & How
to Recognize Their Effects
The
Five Most Dangerous Medicine Mistakes that Way Too Many People
Make
Sources
U.S.
Department of Health & Human Services
U.S.
FDA: Counterfeit Drugs
WebMD