Don’t Be Deceived

By Ayn Veronica de Jesus

THE proliferation of fake drugs is a serious issue. We can’t reiterate that enough.

According to the Department of Health, about 10 percent of drugs sold locally are fake. Even if that seems like a small number, you could be the next victim.

Counterfeit drugs are defined by Republic Act 8203 or the Special Law on Counterfeit Drugs as 1) the drug itself, its container or any part of such drug, container or labeling without authorization of the trademark, trade name or other identification mark, or any likeness to that which is owned or registered in the Bureau of Patent, Trade and Technology Transfer in the name of another natural or juridical person; 2) a drug product refilled in containers by unauthorized persons if the legitimate labels or marks are used; 3) an unregistered imported drug product, except drugs brought in the country for personal use as confirmed and justified by accompanying medical records; 4) a drug which contains no amount of, or a different active ingredient, or less than 80 percent of the active ingredient it purports to possess, as distinguished from an adulterated drug including reduction or loss of efficacy due to expiration.

While the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) is able to monitor or capture certain segments of the counterfeiting system, it can’t do everything. The BFAD is a small agency compared to the millions of drugstores to be monitored, and the hundreds of sneaky counterfeiters who want to become richer through sleazy ways.

BFAD needs help. That’s why it’s partnered with seven government agencies and private institutions to form the Coalition Against Counterfeit Medicines. The coalition aims to help consumers become more vigilant about counterfeits through a mass media-based public awareness campaign; encourage drugstores to sell legitimate medicines; urge government agencies to enforce laws against the problem and help mobilize legislators to tighten laws against counterfeit medicines.

The coalition consists of the Departments of Health, Trade and Industry, and Justice; the Philippine Medical Association; Drugstores Association of the Philippines; Mercury Drug Corp.; Watson’s; Zuellig Pharma Corp.; Philippine Pharmaceutical Corp.; the Philippine Daily Inquirer; GMA-7; and Pfizer Inc.

It can be hard to tell the fake from the original. Sometimes the usual authenticity indicators such as holograms or tamper-evident seals are not always reliable, as they can be duplicated.

There are other telltale signs that can help you distinguish a fake drug from the real one:

The price is too cheap to be true. The suspicious drug is not sold in a reputable drugstore. Maybe your neighbor is peddling the suspicious medicine independently. Or worse, it is being sold on the sidewalks or a peddler just passing through.

The drug’s packaging or name is different from the registered product. The wordings, images and designs on the packaging are poorly printed, blurry, or different color from the original.

The logo is not quite right or different from the original logo. Nothing on the packaging shows the expiration date; and has the brand name printed larger than the generic name.

If you suspect anyone of selling fake drugs, don’t hesitate to report it to the BFAD hotline at 1-800-10-FAKEMED (325-3633), toll free from anywhere in the Philippines. Other hotlines numbers you can call are 807-0725, 807-0725, (0919) 522-0283, (0919) 522-0283. You can also e-mail reg1@bfad.gov.ph or reg2@bfad. gov.ph or visit the BFAD web site www.bfad.gov.ph.

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