Taking counterfeit medicines, either knowingly or unknowingly, can trigger dangerous side effects or cause serious health risks.
The majority of counterfeit medicines are manufactured in developing countries such as Asia, Africa and Latin America as laws and government regulations are not as stringent in these countries.
In some environments where counterfeit drugs are manufactured, the conditions are unhygienic and can contain high levels of bacteria; a risk that could prove fatal to patients with severe illnesses.
Although genuine medicines also have side effects, when a doctor is prescribing a patient medicine they are fully aware of their medical history. This means that the chances of any effects are largely reduced. However, as the ingredients in counterfeit drugs are often unknown, they can cause a plethora of complications including allergic reactions, nausea, poisoning and even organ failure.
Chemicals or toxic substances used in the creation of counterfeit drugs can cause complications which are difficult to treat, or in the worst cases, cannot be reversed by genuine pharmaceuticals. Where serious conditions are concerned, counterfeit drugs have also been known to accelerate the disease rather than treating it.
Counterfeit medicines are not always created with toxic substances. A large proportion do not contain any active ingredients and are instead made with cheaper materials such as herbal remedies, animal parts or less toxic chemicals which have little or no effect on treating an illness.
Occasionally, the counterfeit drug is the genuine product which has been stolen from the manufacturer or pharmacy. In many cases these drugs have passed their expiry date and then been repackaged by fraudsters. Taking genuine medicines that have passed their expiry date can also be dangerous as the stability and concentration of the drug reduces over time.
Make sure you purchase medicines from only reliable sources. At Client Pharma we work with only dependable and trustworthy partners to source and supply global commercial pharmaceutical products.
