Published by the government of Zimbabwe
Hatred Zenenga
3 October 2008
Harare — THE production and marketing of counterfeit drugs has become a lucrative global network that is generating huge amounts of money at the cost of many lives, especially in developing countries.
Sadly, Zimbabwe has not been spared from the proliferation of fake drugs and other medical accessories, which are finding their way into the local market at quite an alarming rate.
The consequences of using fake drugs or accessories are quite ghastly to contemplate.
In fact, counterfeit drugs can be a greater threat to human survival than HIV and Aids, malaria or even unchecked crime.
It is against this background that the authorities concerned must move swiftly and develop a mechanism to combat the trade in fake drugs that is taking root in the country.
CAPS Holdings Ltd is one drug manufacturer that has this week voiced concern over fake products in the form of cough syrups and pain killers that are coming in their packaging.
Across the world, pharmaceutical companies have started developing generic drugs that are cheaper, but equally effective alternatives to those made by huge firms like Pfizer Inc.
These generics usually come with names that are almost similar to those manufactured by the traditional players in the industry.
However, what we are getting now are not generics but instead dangerous fakes that can result in an untold number of deaths per annum.
Other pharmaceutical firms in this country should not remain silent but must follow the lead taken by CAPS Holdings and also speak out strongly against the threat posed by the emergence of trade in counterfeit drugs.
Counterfeiters have used advanced technology to create product packaging almost indistinguishable from authentic drugs.
The packaging is so similar to the original that when asked to distinguish counterfeits from the originals, one finds it very difficult and in some cases may totally fail to do so.
What is most disturbing is the fact that the counterfeit drugs are finding their way to major referral hospitals in the country, and this is a cocktail for disaster.
The danger is that when such drugs are administered to patients they are found to be very low in active ingredients found in authentic drugs.
This implies that patients put on fake drugs are inadvertently being under-dosed with the consequence that the drug would prove to be inefficacious, and may result in death.
Fake drugs may not just contain low or wrong active ingredients, but also poisons that may confound appropriate patient treatment.
Potentially harmful ingredients in counterfeit drugs can be confusing for doctors and other health care workers when they see unexpected and adverse symptoms in patients.
There have also been recent reports of cheap but counterfeit anti-retroviral drugs that were flooding the market.
As a result of the shortage and high demand for ARVs, people simply buy anything that anyone offers them oblivious of the consequences.
Women in this country have also in the past been warned to be wary of fake birth control tablets and sub-standard sanitary pads that are on the market since the use of such products poses a threat to their health and lives.
Use of some fake pads can lead to infection and affect a woman's ability to have children.
In such circumstances, the chances of getting cancer cannot be ruled out.
Another area of concern is that of malaria treatment drugs.
Some people have lost their lives after failing to respond to some anti-malaria drugs, most of which are now being imported.
It is very well clear that the mortality rate for untreated malaria is very high, but the trade in counterfeit anti-malaria drugs can lead to even more deaths.
The whole problem of counterfeit drugs and accessories can be traced right to the doorsteps of many pharmacies, chemists and private clinics and hospitals, which are sourcing their drugs from the informal sector.
Being aware of the weak monitoring systems in place in the country, they tend to play careless with the quality of the products and simply pay for anything to stock their shelves and make some money from an unsuspecting public.
Indeed, more often than not unlicensed individuals walk into pharmacies, clinics and hospitals with bags loaded with drugs and accessories imported from neighbouring countries.
The tragedy is that no tests would have been done on them by the Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe and they imitate the packaging of a legally recognised products.
Failure to regulate the importation of pharmaceutical drugs in the country is responsible for the spread of fake drugs on the market.
Therefore, the time has come for a concerted effort to be made to stem the tide of malpractices in the pharmaceutical drug trade as the adverse effects are glaring for all to see.
The issue is a serious concern that requires action both from medical groupings and the Government to arrest the situation.
Those in the medical profession need to engage the Government at every level to ensure that the importation of fake drugs is brought under control immediately.
As part of measures to stem the menace, the Medicines Control Authority should publish the names of certified drugs and accessories in the media to guide consumers.
Pharmaceutical companies should help sponsor such publications, as this would also be done for their own good.
And vigilance on the part of consumers to always cross-check the genuineness of drugs when in doubt is necessary.
In other countries, the issue of counterfeit drugs is taken so seriously that those who are caught face severe punishments, including death.
After all, peddlers of such products are no different from murderers.
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