Experts are calling for the introduction of a global treaty to fight
the growing problem of trading in potentially fatal counterfeit
medicines, of which some of the risks
we have previously described back in February . The demands might have
something to do with the fact that currently there are bizarrely more
sanctions in place regarding the trading of illegal tobacco than
counterfeit drugs. In addition, the World Health Organization (WHO)
claim that in less developed nations, roughly over one in every 10 drug
products are fake and around a third of malaria medicines (i.e. Malarone and Paludrine) are counterfeit, particularly a major issue in certain areas of Africa and Asia.
In more developed nations such as the UK and the U.S., patients can
relax somewhat in that medicine safety is a lot better, however there is
still a risk of adverse reactions or even deaths being caused as a
result of substandard and falsified drugs. This was shown recently when a
contaminated batch of methylprednisolone acetate steroid injections
that were given to patients in the U.S. for back pain, resulted in an
outbreak of fungal meningitisand subsequently the deaths of 24 people.
In a paper published in the British
Medical Journal on Wednesday, academics and health professionals
demanded for the introduction of a new international law to prevent the
flood of lethal drugs into the market.
Their article, argues strenuously that a fake drugs treaty is
required, similar to those that already exist to combat money laundering
and human trafficking. The publishing of the paper comes just week
before 100 states are due to congregate in Beunos Aires, Argentina, and
conduct the first meeting of its kind that aims to find effective ways
on how the tackle the global problem.
However, the lead author of the report, Amir Attaran of the
University of Ottawa, was angered on Monday after being informed by WHO
that he and other non-governmental representatives were forbidden from
attending, after an objection by India, whose large drugs industry is
responsible for manufacturing cheap generic versions of medications.
India believe that Western governments backed by ‘Big Pharma’, are using
the counterfeit drugs fight as a smokescreen for their real aim;
restricting trade in unpatented medicines that are actually urgently
required by the poor.
Attaran blasted it was a ‘scandal’ that only government officials
were permitted to attend the meeting in Argentina to discuss strategy
for fighting counterfeit drugs. He is confused that by under the
Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, tobacco products must be
tracked and criminalises illicit trade globally, “oddly making the law
tougher on cigarette falsification than on medicine falsification” he
says.
Attaran continued: “The protocol will now make it a requirement to
track and trace tobacco products. Cigarette packets can carry serial
numbers so it is possible to track them from beginning to end. If this
is something you can do for a $5 cigarette packet I do not see why we
can’t do it for a $3,000 packet of drugs that could save your life. In
Canada we have seen a fake version of the heart drug Avastin come into
the country that contains no active drug, just starch and nail polish
remover. When you are dealing with a medicine like that if there was a
serial number on it you would be able to easily see if it was fake.”
Medical Specialists agree that action needs to be taken to stem the
tide of deadly drugs reaching unsuspecting patients. For this to happen
though there clearly needs to be a lot less distrust amongst government,
public health campaigners and pharmaceutical companies.
Patients around the globe never need to worry about dangerous fakes
when dealing with Medical Specialists Pharmacy. Established in 1994 and
becoming the UK’s first legal online clinic in 2001, we are fully
registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) and also a
member of the National Pharmacy Association (NPA). Our team of Doctors
are registered with the General Medical Council (GMC) and our
Pharmacists are registered with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of
Great Britain (RPSGB).
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