The Dangers of Buying Medicines Overseas New York Times (blog)
Without the regulatory controls in place in the United States, counterfeit medicines have flooded the marketplace in many developing nations. A counterfeit medicine is one in which the product has been deliberately and fraudulently mislabeled in terms of its source or content. This applies to brand name as well as generic medications.
The World Health Organization estimates that, on average, 10 percent of all pharmaceuticals on the global market are counterfeit. In parts of Africa, Asia and Latin America, more than 30 percent of the medicines on sale by retailers are counterfeit. In some regions, the numbers can be as high as 70 percent.
In the United States and most countries in Europe, the incidence of counterfeit medicines is less than 1 percent. However, medicines purchased over the Internet -– where the physical address of the seller is often concealed – are counterfeit in over 50 percent of cases.
Sadly, the trouble with counterfeit medicines is not simply the replacement of active pharmaceutical product with a harmless substitute, but the danger that the pill actually contains a toxic, and potentially deadly, ingredient. Deaths have occurred from the administration of fake cold syrups containing diethylene glycol (antifreeze) to fake antimalarial and anti-tuberculosis medicines administered in the developing world. Multiple deaths have been traced back to counterfeit medicines that originated in China and India. However, the trail of counterfeit medicines often crosses continents and involves many individuals running illegal operations.
