Falsified drugs are drugs that have been falsely labeled when it comes to their identity or source.
Fake or Falsified Medicines
There could be instances of counterfeit medicines, illegal drugs, unlicensed drugs, and even expired drugs. Falsified drugs are a major problem for the pharmaceutical industry because, besides being a danger to the health of individuals, these drugs negatively affect the reputation of pharmaceutical companies.
Many counterfeit medicines will consist of active ingredients that do not have any medicinal value. This is because they might not have enough of the ingredients, or they may even have the wrong dosage. Others will consist of ingredients that are of poor quality or ingredients that are not even active. Some will have toxins and even harmful substances like arsenic, mercury, and lead that are not supposed to be in a medicine.
In the fight against counterfeit drugs, the pharmaceutical sector has gone a long way in curbing this menace through initiatives such as the use of special packaging or authentication technology in pharmaceuticals, and the establishment of online databases that will enable tracing of pharmaceutical products in the supply chain. Pharmaceutical firms can collaborate with healthcare bodies in ensuring that the public gets educated on the hazards of taking counterfeit medicines. This has been instrumental in curbing the spread of counterfeit medicines, although more remains to be done.