Trivia: Counterfeit Medicines

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the problem of counterfeit medicines occurs worldwide, with about 60% of cases in developing countries and 40% of cases in the West. It has been estimated that more than 10% of the medicine on the global market is fake, and that 25% of it in developing countries is counterfeit or substandard.

Why would someone produce counterfeit drugs? According to the WHO, the estimated worth of the counterfeit and substandard drug trade is US$35 billion, with very little risk of prosecution. Indeed, the risk is so low, that narcotics dealers are reportedly switching to counterfeit medicines.

But what drug does the WHO say is currently the most counterfeited? No, not a painkiller, antibiotic, hormone, steroid, or vitamin – though these are also popular – but the anti-malarial drug artesunate.

What's the difference between counterfeit and substandard? Put simply, counterfeit means produced with an intention to cheat, with scenarios including:

(And in case you're wondering, "fake packaging" includes fudging expiry dates!) And substandard simply means: genuine packaging + incorrect quantity of ingredient (not deliberate).

Speaking of counterfeit and substandard, also see our item on internet pharmacies.

Discuss This Article

Have something you'd like to say? Tell us what you think! Read and post comments for this article.

Find a Job

Choose your career:

MedHunters is the world's biggest healthcare job board. Our job directory has 17,657 jobs with 2,479 hospitals and other direct employers.

We want you to find your next job on MedHunters. Need Help? Call us at 1-888-884-8242, email us at info@medhunters.com or sign up now.