THE DEADLY WORLD OF FAKE DRUGS

During the past decade, trafficking in counterfeit drugs has become one of the world's fastest-growing criminal enterprises. The World Health Organization estimates that more than 30% of medicines on sale in parts of Africa, Asia, and Latin America are fakes. By 2010, the global turnover for ph...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Foreign policy 2008-09 (168), p.57
Main Authors: Bate, Roger, Nugent, Rachel
Format: Magazinearticle
Language:English
Subjects:
Counterfeiting
Exports
International
Pharmaceutical industry
Pharmaceuticals
Product testing
Profits
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:During the past decade, trafficking in counterfeit drugs has become one of the world's fastest-growing criminal enterprises. The World Health Organization estimates that more than 30% of medicines on sale in parts of Africa, Asia, and Latin America are fakes. By 2010, the global turnover for phony pharmaceuticals is projected to be $75 billion, a 90% increase since 2005. It's hardly surprising that a product like pharmaceuticals might be a target for massive counterfeiting. The price of genuine drugs is high, which pushes the profit margin on fakes even higher, and the global market of potential customers is enormous. What's more, fakes can be difficult to detect. The good news is that new technologies are making random quality testing easier and faster. But technology can only be one facet of the response. Governments that protect counterfeit drug industries must be named and shamed, and aid agencies should only purchase and distribute drugs that have undergone rigorous testing.
ISSN:0015-7228
1945-2276