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PULPOU BLOG
Counterfeit Medications: An Industry That Takes Lives
10% of the medications consumed worldwide are fake or adulterated, a percentage that can reach between 50% and 70% in some countries in Africa and Latin America. This phenomenon highlights the importance of intellectual property and product traceability.
It is a growing concern within the healthcare world, primarily because it is an illegal business that moves millions and often becomes a temptation for those seeking easy money, regardless of the consequences. According to an article published in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, the rise of counterfeit and low-quality medications is killing approximately 250,000 children per year. These children suffer from malaria or pneumonia and may end up losing their lives because of it.
"The increase in falsified and substandard medications has become a public health emergency. In addition to the direct harm they cause, bad drugs are a major driver of antimicrobial resistance, fueling the rise of superbugs. This is an urgent issue, and we must take action," states a section of the article signed by several U.S. hospitals, universities, and pharmaceutical companies. To be clear, they speak of a 'pandemic of bad drugs.'
As reported by the British newspaper The Guardian, many of the deaths occur in countries where high drug demand combines with poor surveillance, quality control, and regulations, making it easier for criminal gangs and cartels to infiltrate the market.
Companies Taking Action
In 2018, the pharmaceutical company Pfizer identified 95 counterfeit medications in 113 countries, a figure that increases year by year. Geoffroy Bessaud, head of anti-counterfeiting coordination at the French multinational pharmaceutical company SANOFI, stated that in 2019, 10% of the medications consumed worldwide were counterfeit or adulterated, a percentage that can reach between 50% and 70% in some African and Latin American countries.
Bessaud also indicated in 2018, to give a real sense of the scale, that an investment of $1,000 in this business could generate up to $500,000, whereas the same investment in heroin trafficking or counterfeit currency generated $20,000.
The World Health Organization defined three types of substandard and falsified medical products:
- "Falsified medical products" that deliberately misrepresent their identity, composition, or source.
- "Substandard medical products", which are those that do not meet quality standards or specifications, containing less than the necessary amount of an active pharmaceutical ingredient.
- "Unregistered or unlicensed medical products", which are those that have not passed quality tests and have not been approved.
This issue affects different continents, although some are more affected than others. In the case of the United States and Europe, the number of deaths is relatively low. This is not the case in Africa, Asia, or Latin America. For example, since 2013, Africa has accounted for 42% of the adulterated drugs seized worldwide. Additionally, by 2015, around 122,000 children under the age of five died due to the poor quality of antimalarial drugs in Sub-Saharan Africa. The WHO has alerted various governments to enforce stricter controls.
China and India, Viewed with Suspicion
The British newspaper The Guardian "blames" these two countries, arguing that they export primarily to poor countries with little control, or to countries affected by conflicts or disasters where there is a scarcity of medications. Generally, as explained by the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, these are common medications such as cold remedies, analgesics, sedatives, and flu medicines, though there are also drugs for treating cancer, kidney treatments, digestive system issues, sexual impotence, pneumonia, malaria, and others.
In 2018, Interpol arrested 860 manufacturers and distributors, mostly from the United States and Asia. Additionally, that year, 3,671 websites selling these products on the black market were shut down.
Medications During the Pandemic
With the spread of the Coronavirus worldwide, criminals are taking advantage of the high demand for personal protection and hygiene products. As Interpol published on its website, nearly 2,000 online links were found advertising medical devices related to Covid-19. Among these, counterfeit surgical masks were the most sold item online.
Interpol issued a warning about the sale of fake, contaminated, or incorrectly labeled medications in light of the global Coronavirus pandemic declared by the WHO. In a statement, the international organization recommended not buying medicines through unknown websites or markets.
“Some medications, instead of healing, can cause harm. Whatever your illness, it is important to obtain medications through a regulated supplier,” it warned, adding that “mercury, arsenic, rat poison, or cement have been found in some counterfeit medications.”
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