Ang pamamaalam

The Pharmaceutical and HealthCare Association of the Philippines (PHAP) warned yesterday that opening the country to imported cheap medicines could give manufacturers of fake drugs access to local drugstores.

More than 35 percent of fake medicines originate from neighboring countries, particularly India and China, PHAP added.

The PHAP said the government’s plan to import medicines could allow fake drugs to easily find their way into the country.

“Now, what’s even more alarming than the growing statistics of fake drugs is the type of medicines that are being counterfeited,” the PHAP said.

“We are not talking about vitamins or supplements anymore, but life-saving drugs and even vaccines such as antibiotics. This makes the situation even more serious.

The PHAP said in China in 2001 alone, about 192,000 people died  after taking fake drugs.

A significant percentage of the estimated one million annual deaths from malaria could have been prevented if the medicines taken were genuine, the PHAP added.

Anti-malarial medicines are among those which are highly counterfeited in Asia since huge funds are being poured in Asian countries for the prevention of the disease, the PHAP said. – Rainer Allan Ronda