Counterfeit Medicines on the Rise in India
Adequate health care remains unavailable to most of India's citizens, especially in rural areas. Even those fortunate enough to have access to good care, however, cannot be certain that a prescription from a reliable doctor will ensure their recovery. VOA's Steve Herman in New Delhi explains why.
A customer – in this case, someone sent by Voice of America – complains of sleeplessness and gets a New Delhi pharmacist to hand over a packet of pills without a doctor's prescription.
In India, it is easy to get around the law requiring a prescription for most medicines. But, with or without a prescription Indians cannot be sure the drugs they buy are real, or safe.
By Steve Herman
16 May 2007