Five Tips to Identify Fake Medicines

A fake medication is a pharmaceutical product that does not live up to its claims. It refers to any medication designed or manufactured to make it seem better than it is. The phrase can also refer to a medicine that has phony packaging or is purposefully and fraudulently mislabeled as to its identity and/or origins.

It is commonly known that utilizing fake medications can have fatal results, endangering both our own health and welfare and the credibility of global public health systems. Despite all of the regulatory agencies’ attempts to ensure standards compliance, the problem of fraudulent drugs has remained.

Most of the test tools used by regulatory organizations to confirm the authenticity of a drug product may not be available to you as a consumer. The following advice will serve as a road map for buying real pharmaceutical products:

1.Visual examination – Regardless of the analytical techniques employed, visual inspection, as stated by the World Health Organization (WHO) (1999), continues to be the initial step in spotting probable fake drugs. This is due to the fact that such observations can be used to detect phoney goods even in the lack of information about the physical traits of an authentic drug product. You must thoroughly inspect the package and its contents before making a purchase or putting them to use.

Examining the Package Visually

• Examine the contents of the package to see if anything seems off or different from what you are used to.
• By examining for fractures or tears in the sealing tape and seals, you can determine if the security seal has been tampered with.
• Verify the text for odd typefaces, font sizes, and print color spelling mistakes.
• Verify that the information on both the primary and secondary packages can be read clearly.
• Verify that the secondary package’s batch number, expiration date, and manufacturer’s address match those on the first package.
• Verify whether the manufacturer’s address can be traced, that is, whether it includes the company’s precise location rather than just the national address.

Examining the dosage form visually–

Look for variations in the drug’s outward appearance (color homogeneity, size, shape, consistency, etc.). The WHO lists the following as frequently occurring physical flaws in tablets that should be watched out for:

• Excessive powder and/or pieces of tablets at the bottom of the container (from abraded, crushed, or broken tablets).
• Cracks or chips in the tablets, swelling, mottling, discoloration, and fusion of tablets; and the appearance of crystal on the walls of the container or on the tablet.
• Be on the lookout for any hardening or softening, cracking, swelling, mottling, or discoloration of the capsule shell.

2. Using the Short Message Service, Mobile Authentication (SMS) –One of the most cutting-edge technologies being utilized to combat the problem of fake medications is the Mobile Authentication Service (MAS). Many cell phone users now have the ability to spot fraudulent medicinal products because of this technology.

3.Look up the manufacturer’s address – Only when it comes from a reputable, international organization with a well-established framework is it plain and easy to verify the maker’s place of birth. However, this is frequently not the case since fake firms can’t have their exact location engraved on the medications. Consider whether the producer’s location is recognizable, for instance, whether it includes the precise location of the company and not just the name of the country.

4.Price-If the price of the prescription is suddenly much less expensive than the regular price, double verify the item as there may be a chance that the fraudulent businesses wanted to lure customers by offering medications at a much lower price.

5.Unintended consequence-The majority of the time, counterfeit medications don’t contain the proper Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API). Additionally, they might contain dangerous drugs that have no therapeutic effect, wrong ingredients, or incorrect dosage. A red flag for a phoney drug can include unusual side effects, allergic reactions, or a worsening of a medical condition after taking it. If any of the aforementioned occurs, the drug should be stopped immediately.

Conclusion

Today’s market is filled with thousands of fake, questionable, and subpar pharmaceuticals and the harm they cause knows no bounds. Drugs are poison, and the right dose differentiates a poison from a remedy. Thus, it’s important to avoid taking imitations. The advice provided in this post will help you avoid buying, using, and experiencing the negative consequences of fraudulent drug goods while also helping you save some money. By disseminating this knowledge, you may do your part to fight the struggle against fake medications.