By Luel Galarpe (PNA)
CEBU CITY — Fake medicines are a global concern, with the anti-impotence drug Viagra the most counterfeited drug worldwide, a Food and Drug Administration in Central Visayas (FDA-7) said on Tuesday.
FDA licensing officer Grace Cardona said counterfeit medicines can only be identified through analysis, by label, and through the names of importers and manufacturers.
Medicines containing less than 80 percent of their active ingredients are counterfeit, Cardona said in a forum jointly hosted by the Association of Government Information Officers in Central Visayas (AGIO-7) and the Philippine Information Agency (PIA-7).
Drugs imported by unregistered dealers or manufactured by unlicensed manufacturers are also considered fake.
The labels of fake drugs also have different features compared to the genuine ones, she added.
Cardona said the most counterfeited drug worldwide is Viagra while Generic and branded paracetamol tablets are also being faked.
However, no pharmaceutical establishment, drug store, and retail outlet in Cebu has been found selling counterfeit medicines this year, she said.
“Thankfully, the FDA-7 has not apprehended any drug wholesaler or retailer selling counterfeit medicines in Cebu this year,” Cardona said.
However, Cardona said counterfeit medicines are still being sold in other parts of the Philippines and other countries worldwide.
“Counterfeit medicine is a global concern, and this is why we are celebrating the National Consciousness Week Against Counterfeit Medicine to continue our information drive about fake drugs which are hazardous and can be lethal to people’s health,” Cardona said in Cebuano.
The FDA will be celebrating the National Consciousness Week Against Counterfeit Medicine in the region this year from November 22 to 24.
Although the FDA has seen a very significant decline in the selling of fake medicines in the country, Cardona said the public still needs to be informed and educated on the matter as counterfeit drugs are difficult to identify.
The FDA-7 official advised the public to report any adverse drug reaction and to buy their medicines only from licensed drug stores and retailer outlets.
Cardona also called on barangay officials to file resolutions preventing sari-sari stores from purchasing medicines from unauthorized peddlers or dealers.
