Evaluate Your Medicines

Evaluate Your Medicines

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While some counterfeit drugs are nearly indistinguishable to the legitimate product, many counterfeit drugs leave visual clues or have physical traits that can help you judge whether or not the medicines are real.

When you start carrying a medicine, create a “baseline” of the drug’s characteristics, including its appearance, taste, smell, texture, reactions and packaging. Compare the medicine you vendors provide with what it is supposed to this baseline. When comparing packaging, look for differences in paper, printing, color, and fonts (i.e., is it the same size, raised print, embossed, etc.).

Syrups and Liquid Medicines
SHOULD

  • Have the same characteristics as known authentic sample of the medication, including its viscosity, coloring and smell

SHOULD NOT

  • Have particulate matter or floating objects in the liquid/syrup unless it is a suspension
  • Have patients complain or mention the syrup has a different taste or flavoring than before

Injectable Medicines
SHOULD

  • Be in ampoules with uniform shapes and that open or break in the same way
  • Be in vials with the same colors, labels, bottle size and shape as a known authentic sample of the
    medication
  • Have intact seals and metal coverings
  • Have a uniform characteristics as previously used vials, including the softness of tops (seal,
    gourmets, rubber seals or metal tops)

SHOULD NOT

  • Have any particulate matter or floating objects in the solution
  • Have patients complain or report pain or redness at the injection site
  • Generate different readings from a handheld spectrophotometer than the real medicines

Tablets, Capsules, Pills & Lozenges
SHOULD

  • Appear uniform in its shape and color
  • Have a uniform texture, including its
    • Coating, such as a film-coating, sugar-coating or enteric-coating
    • A base that is fully covered
    • Uniformly polished, free of powder, and non-sticking
  • Be free of embedded surface spots and foreign particle contamination
  • Have uniform and identical markings (scoring, lettering, etc.)
  • Be free of breaks, cracks, splits or pinholes
  • Smell the same as the original

SHOULD NOT

  • Be the wrong color
  • Be a different strengths dosage than the FDA approved products
  • Have incorrect markings
  • Be the wrong product or wrong dosage level

Packaging
SHOULD

  • Have its strength—the amount of active ingredient per unit—clearly stated on the packaging
  • Be properly sealed
  • Contain a package insert
  • Have a container and closure that protects the drug from the outside environment for the
    duration of its shelf life
  • Have the appropriate container and closure for the drug inside
  • Have smudge-proof ink on the package insert or packaging

SHOULD NOT

  • Come from multiple lot numbers
  • Look worn, tattered, or not up to quality of established reliable sources
  • Have packaging labels or label colors near the expiration date that are faded
  • Be missing overt markings such as color shifting ink, raised printing, holograms
  • Have seals or sealing tabs over the product openings that are missing or appear to be
    abnormal or tampered
  • Have printed text different in size or design than normal

Manufacturing Information
SHOULD

  • Display a legible and correct manufacturer name and logo
  • Display an authentic logo or hologram (if applicable) that changes color when viewed from
    different angles
  • Have registered the drug in the country

SHOULD NOT

  • Be missing the manufacturer’s full address or logo
  • Have faded, illegible or expired manufacture and expiration dates

Labels
SHOULD

  • Have its strength—the amount of active ingredient per unit—clearly stated on the label
  • Indicate the drug under this dosage form is registered and authorized for sale in the country
  • Match the information and design of its packaging
  • Contain legible, permanent information on the label
  • Be a drug sold legally in the country
  • Contain the registered symbol ® following the trade name
  • Have a trade name and the active ingredient name that correspond to the registered drug
  • List the same number of tablets label and the container
  • Have a package insert that is printed on the same colored or same quality paper as the original

SHOULD NOT

  • Contain misspellings
  • Look dirty and scuffed or placed at an odd angle
  • Have labeling written in foreign language or for foreign market
  • Indicate “not for resale” or physician use only
  • Contain extra glue or tacky residue remains on the outside edge of label

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