Organised crime networks are continuing to do a roaring trade in counterfeit pharmaceutical products smuggled into South Africa and into the hands of desperate or unsuspecting consumers, with a recent study by the WHO showing at least 20% of Africa’s medicines are not genuine.
On a smaller scale, research by Dr Trevonia Nihal, who recently graduated with a PhD in Criminology and Forensics Studies from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, gave a glimpse into the ongoing illegal and sub-standard medical product market in KZN, including knock-offs of prescription drugs.
Nihal said it was startling how well presented the counterfeit medication was, and how easily it could dupe users into believing it was real. “This presents a huge public health concern,” she told the Independent on Saturday.
For her investigation into the supply chain operations of counterfeit pharmaceutical syndicates, Nihal’s sample group consisted of 25 seasoned police offices dedicated to exposing drug rings.
She found not only that illegal medicines changed hands in shops and stalls around Durban’s CBD and other places, but that these were also commonly offered on social media platforms and online. Some of the items included Grandpa products, Movate creams, Viagra, birth control pills, antibiotics and diabetes medication.
Police unaware
Nihal had questioned whether public interventions were in place to warn unsuspecting consumers, and found that while the police officers she interviewed were efficient in their duties and understood the relevant legislation on counterfeit pharmaceuticals, the majority of them “were unaware of a single public health intervention that was available to help people”.
“They did not advise consumers who had used such products to have tests done at a general practitioner or suggest any other form of help available.”
She believed they needed more resources, and collaboration with the Department of Health, to disseminate information on available public health intervention programmes.
“It’s not the SAPS’ job to educate the public, the DoH should be doing that,” she said.
The unavailability of affordable medicine was a major factor contributing to the proliferation of counterfeit pharmaceuticals, she added, with desperation often playing a role. “Some people have no other choice. It’s worse in rural areas where they may be unaware of counterfeit pharmaceuticals and substandard medication concepts and where under-pressure doctors don’t have time to educate every patient.”
The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) said that substandard or falsified medication was a global problem. Communication and public relations manager Madimetja Mashishi said they were concerned about the proliferation of counterfeit medicines and had dedicated resources, used legislative frameworks and collaborated with other authorities, to keep a lid on the situation.
“We have not detected counterfeit medicine within the legal pharmaceutical supply chain; however, we continue to ensure we have a robust surveillance programme,” added Mashishi.
Independent on Saturday PressReader article – Alert over SA’s fake medicines (Open access)
See more from MedicalBrief archives:
Fake medicines kill half a million Africans every year
SAHPRA issues warning about fake Ozempic
Africa bears the brunt of the counterfeit medicine curse