Pharmaceutical News 2.0

The International Police (Interpol) stepped up the heat against counterfeit items last week when assorted drugs worth about sh200m were impounded in nine districts.

Five tonnes of medicines were impounded after a sustained intelligence monitoring and operation by Interpol and the National Drug Authority (NDA) with support from the World Health Organisation led-taskforce (International Medical Products Anti Counterfeiting Taskforce.

One of the drugs, Chloroquine was found in a container labelled Quinine because Quinine is more expensive and would fetch the seller more money. But Chloroquine is no longer a recommended line of treatment for malaria.

The high cost of genuine drugs, especially the new malaria treatment line, which costs about $8 (about sh17,000) per dose or more, has not helped matters with the population resorting to cheap, fake and less effective alternatives.

“Fake anti-malarial drugs are believed to be a contributory factor in a significant number of tragedies in sub-Saharan Africa,’ read an NDA statement.

Counterfeit is a major threat to sustainable existence in East Africa because of the unfair competition they present to the makers of genuine goods who invest loads of money in brand building and marketing.

But counterfeiting drugs can mean a matter of life and death that is why there is a serious need by the authorities to hit- hard on its architects.
Another drug, Amodiaquine, captured in large quantities all contained the same batch number, but had different expiry dates.

The other highly-counterfeited drug, Co-trimoxale, commonly known as Septrin was found missing in a tin labelled Co-trimoxale. Instead, Panadol was in the tins. Patients suffering from HIV/AIDS also use Septrin before they can start on ARVs.

“So a person with HIV/AIDS is taking Panadol thinking it is Septrin,” warned Muhammad Lukwago, the NDA inspector of drugs at the briefing at Interpol Kampala in Kololo.

Lukwago said most of the labelled containers’ contents range from no drugs, different drug contents, expired drugs or totally different chemicals. That means unsuspecting public is exposed to these chemicals that experts warn can sometimes lead to death.

Read the rest of this article on Interpool’s effort to curb fake drugs.

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The news of a fake malaria drug in our country really was a shock to many, including some health officials who might have prescribed this drug to patients. Indeed last Thursday the statement alerted the public of the presence of fake coartem malaria tablets in Kumasi.

The statement said the confirmatory tests on the fake products have shown that the fake Coartem tablets do not contain Artemether and Lumefantrine, the main active ingredients of the original and genuine Coartem tablet.

This means that most of the people in Kumasi and the Ashanti Region in general who had taken or are taking the fake tablet derived no benefit from it, since counterfeit medications can be hazardous to the point of being deadly. It might not be in Kumasi alone, definitely, the drugs passed through Accra to Kumasi.

The FDB directed all pharmacies, licensed chemical stores and healthcare facilities to recall the fake drugs from their shelves and dispensaries. Health care workers have also been directed to assist patients and customers to distinguish genuine coartem from the counterfeit. This newspaper wonders why the FDB thinks a mere press release can compel pharmacists and dispensaries to comply with this directive.

The FDB knows more than anyone that the drug counterfeit business is a multi-million dollar business globally, which is gaining roots in Ghana, the emerging gateway to everything.

It has been estimated that up to 15% of all sold drugs are fake, and in parts of Africa this figure exceeds 50% , which paints a grim picture of health delivery in Ghana and elsewhere in Africa. China is emerging as a source country of counterfeit drugs . India and other Asian countries are emerging as sources. As Ghana’s trade with China and India is increasing each year, our authorities must keep a close eye on drugs from the two countries.

Read more about the fake drugs present in Africa.

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Excerpt…

FREETOWN (AFP) — Sierra Leone has shut down a group of clinics run by Egyptian doctors for allegedly administering fake drugs as part of crackdown on illegal practices in the health sector, officials said Wednesday.

“We investigated after receiving a number of complaints from patients being given fake drugs and sub-standard injections for the treatment of typhoid in at least nine clinics run by the Egyptians,” said Alimamy Turay of the Sierra Leone Pharmacy Board.

At least four patients complained of feeling dizzy and had to seek medical relief elsewhere, he added.

On Tuesday, the health minister announced a crackdown on fake and unregistered foreign doctors operating in Sierra Leone, estimated to number around 200.

Sierra Leone is struggling to recover from a bloody, decade-long civil war which ended in 2001. An estimated 120,000 people were killed and thousands had their limbs hacked off by rebel fighters trying to overthrow the government.

The conflict left the health care system in tatters with less than one physician per 10,000 inhabitants, according to figures from the World Health Organisation.

Read the rest of this article here.

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