Chief Medical Officer Dr. Merceline Dahl-Regis told the Bahama Journal Wednesday that the Ministry of Health is pulling out all its “available resources” to combat the problem.
Health Minister Dr. Marcus Bethel, meanwhile, said the public can rest assured that wherever there is evidence of this practice, the relevant agencies – whether police, customs or health – will do the necessary investigations to identify the problem and bring it to a halt.
“Our concern about counterfeit drugs entering the market for distribution is very simple,” Dr. Bethel said. “We have no guarantees that these drugs have the same potency and effectiveness in terms of what they are expected to do.”
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), counterfeit drugs range from perfect copies of well-known brands to substandard drugs with or without active ingredients.
The issue of fake drugs was raised last year by Trade and Industry Minister Leslie Miller, who said the matter demanded quick action.
But one wholesale distributor of pharmaceuticals – who asked not to be named – told the Journal this week that one year later and the issue still has not gotten the attention it deserves.
He said while the problem has not affected his business, he has heard “whispers”, a clear indication that the problem exists.
“I have been offered products made in places like China or Cuba, which I have refused to touch,” he said.
“Everything we have sold on the market is [authentic],” he added. “I buy products from markets deemed to be of good quality, but there are unscrupulous dealers out there. This is being done. But I really can’t point fingers. I have to keep my own house clean.”
The source further claimed that some dealers now bring the items in their suitcases.
“We need a proper checking system,” he said.
According to some pharmaceutical professionals, many of the counterfeit drugs appear so authentic that there are no “sure ways” of telling them from the real thing.
As a result, some buyers are reportedly duped into thinking they’re getting what they’ve paid for.
In some instances, according to Journal sources, only a clinical test can prove otherwise.
Most small island states like The Bahamas have no facilities for such testing, according to Dr. Bethel. Instead, they are forced to rely on testing being done in reference laboratories in the United States.
Recent statistics published by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) indicate that the number of counterfeit drug cases has substantially increased over the last few years.
Recently, the FDA checked 1,153 drug packages imported into the United States and discovered that 88 percent contained unapproved versions of medicines that could pose a health risk.
Not all persons who distribute pharmaceuticals locally appear aware of what health officials have called a problem.
” I haven’t heard of any fake products being sold or reported to the Ministry of Health in about six years,” an executive of a leading distribution firm told the Journal.
“But there is the possibility that a licensed distributor, other than ourselves can access a product from another market, bring it into the country and sell it possibly at a cheaper price, without breaking any laws,” he added. “This would provide increased profitability to the pharmacy, which in turn passes on the savings to the consumer. And this is really the major bone of contention. The real concern is that we need to increase regulation to prevent these things from happening.”
A spokesman for Lowe’s Wholesale Drug Agency said, however, that while this argument is “true in principle and legally acceptable”, there are “absolutely no guarantees” that the products received from another source are genuine.
“How can you be sure that these products are valid?” he asked.
“Generally, in the pharmaceutical industry when something is too cheap it should ring the bells compared to the [authentic] brand. So the question is if you would want to give your three-year-old a product that you might have no recourse on later. Because you source a product that appears to bear the same name as what normal distributors sell it, does not follow that it is genuine.”
Some distributors have pointed to the health risks involved in the distribution of fake drugs.
The Lowe’s official indicated that if a consumer were to purchase what is purported to be Lipitor, a drug designed to help manage cholesterol in the blood, the individual may never realize that it was a counterfeit product.
He said this may lead to a host of health problems, including strokes.
There are also concerns related to the handling of genuine drugs.
He said there is the question of whether pharmaceuticals are stored under the right conditions. If not, the effectiveness of the product may have been compromised, the official indicated.
“Counterfeit drugs are one thing, but if a drug has sat in a container for three months longer than it should have been in 105 degree weather, this is another problem,” the spokesman said. “Most ointments would fail at that point, so you’d be smearing yourself all over and nothing’s happening. You paid less for it yes, but are you getting a deal or not?”
Macushla N. Pinder, The Bahama Journal
