FDA Philippines Warns: Watch Out For Fake Drugs
The Philippines Bureau of Food and Drug Administration (BFAD) helpd workshops in Batangas to educate consumers about the risks and prevalence of counterfeit medicines.
BFAD is working on a long-term public education campaign to teach people not to purchase medications from unregulated sources. Rowena Tupas of the BFAD said that counterfeit medications are thriving because they are inexpensive and the laws to protect consumers are poorly implemented.
But cheap medicine can be bad medicine, said Tupas.
“Taking fake medicines is a big issue because it’s a threat to the health of the people. It might aggravate the disease of a person or may cause death due to the incorrect components of the medicine. It might also be ineffective and may not cure the illness of the patients,” Tupas said.
Antibiotics, analgesics, antipyretics, diabetes, hypertensive, uterine stimulants and common cough and cold medications are all commonly counterfeited in the Philippines.
In addition to the consumer awareness campaign, BFAD inspects pharmacies and teaches pharmacists and pharmacy owners about methods of purchasing authentic medication.