Market of counterfeits: Fake medicines worth Rs 5 crore, fake asthma inhaler tablets in Kerala

Since prehistoric times, humans have relied on plant-based medicines. In the 19th century, humans turned to lab-created synthetic drugs and antibiotics, and since then there has been no looking back. Ailing humans now rely on medicines, and what if the same medicines happen to be fake? The seizure of fake medicines worth Rs 5 crore in Bidar, Karnataka, and the seizure of fake asthma inhaler tablets in Kerala illustrate the severity of the issue.

A firm was found in Karnataka where fake medicines were prepared and marketed in the name of international pharmaceutical companies. This firm was operating in a farmhouse. Cheap medicines were brought from other states, packaged in bottles of international pharmaceutical companies, and then illegally marketed with labels removed. It would be naïve to consider this as an isolated incident. Many such firms work to make money at the cost of human lives. Only a detailed investigation can reveal how widespread their network is.

The medicines seized from this firm are not fit for use. It has been found that they are made with raw materials that pose serious health problems. The seized medicines include injectable ones. The scanning codes on the medicine packets were found to be fake. Medicines worth Rs 35 lakhs were expired among the seized medicines. The investigation team has not released the names of the operators of this fake medicine manufacturing centre. A special team will be formed for the investigation. The information needs to be shared with other states as well, since the cabal distributing medicines to other states, including Kerala, cannot be ruled out. As the state where the highest number of medicines are sold in India, the state home and health departments should jointly investigate whether Kerala was one of the main marketing centres for such fake medicine manufacturers.

Since some diseases require foreign medicines, patients care less about the high price but will somehow try to acquire it. Imagine what goes through their mind after finding the same medicine to be a fake. Many of these medicines cost lakhs. Some private hospitals even import such medicines from abroad and give them to patients. There are middlemen in all states to deliver such medicines. An investigation is warranted.

In India, a QR code is mandatory on the packets of life-saving medicines. Scan this and ensure the authenticity of the medicine. The lack of pharmacists to ensure these things in the shops complicates the problem. Often, such fake medicines are sold at a price much lower than the market price. Although the brand name is written on the packet, some of the letters will be wrong. The common man fails to detect this.

If found selling fake medicines, a complaint should be registered with the central and state drug control departments or consumer forums. People should also be careful not to buy medicines through online sites or from unknown intermediaries without a proper prescription from a doctor.