"Counterfeit drugs targeted by technology in India"
........."Faking it
There are varying estimates of how big the problem is. Up to 25% of the medicines consumed in poor countries could be counterfeit or substandard, according to the World Health Organisation. They define a counterfeit as "a medicine, which is deliberately and fraudulently mislabelled with respect to identity and/or source".
.......
With manufacturing costs nearly 40% cheaper than other countries, the authorities are worried India could become an easy target for counterfeiters.
This is why the government has launched a campaign against counterfeit medicines. The drug controller of India says while they have task forces that regularly raid producers, it is increasingly difficult to spot fakes.
Fake drugs like these, destined for Africa, can kill
Very often consumers cannot work out if they have been treated with a counterfeit product, which may contain non-active or even toxic ingredients.
Deputy drug controller general of India, Dr D Roy, says counterfeit medicines often resemble the originals in chemical composition. But he thinks the biggest problem is the packaging.
......
"Retailers too would find it difficult to identify a fake. The packaging industry is not regulated by us. The need of the hour is to evolve a more holistic approach that ensures involvement of all stakeholders in the supply chain."
The deputy drug controller for India, Dr D Roy, shows how difficult it is to tell the fakes from the real things
Currently, when a company suspects that its drugs are being counterfeited in a particular area, they alert the local office of the drug controller to take action.
The authorities then conduct a raid and seize any fake products found."
........
"The majority of fake drugs available are said to originate in India and China.
India is also one the world's fastest-growing hubs for generic drug production. A majority of the medicines available in Africa come from Indian generic drug laboratories."
India is also one the world's fastest-growing hubs for generic drug production. A majority of the medicines available in Africa come from Indian generic drug laboratories."
Meanwhile the World Trade Organization says fake anti-malaria drugs kill 100,000 Africans a year and the black market deprives governments of 2.5-5% of revenue."........
"Paul Lalvani is dean of Empower School of Health.
"So it's important for India to reassure consumers worldwide of the safety and credibility of drugs made here.""
READ FULL ARTICLE AT :
No comments:
Post a Comment