10% of global pharma commerce fake

14 April 2002

Scientists have called for international action to combat the growingglobal trade in fake drugs that is taking place, especially in under-developed countries. Drugs most commonly counterfeited include all types of medicines, from bogus antimalaria therapies to useless oral contraceptives, and vaccines made of tap water or snake antivenom containing no active ingredients.

"The accumulated evidence, such as it is, suggests that mortality and morbidity arising from this murderous trade are considerable, especially in developing countries," Paul Newton of the Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine at Oxford University told the British Medical Journal. He also said that the World Health Organization estimates 10% of all global pharmaceutical commerce today to be fake.

Dr Newton carried out a survey in Cambodia last year, which found that one third of the antimalaria drug artesunate bought over-the-counter was fake.

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