Al-Madinah newspaper

Counterfeit medicine kills thousands of people each year. In a global conference held recently in the United Arab Emirates, pharmaceutical experts estimated that the fake medicines industry was valued at $100 billion a year. The sale of counterfeit medicine has also alarmingly increased all over the world because of online shopping. Almost all countries around the world face the challenge of stopping the spread of counterfeit medicine.

What is most shocking is that 60 percent of fake medication does not contain any effective chemical compounds. Although the Customs Department, the Ministry of Commerce and Investment and the Saudi Food and Drug Authority exert painstaking efforts to crack down on counterfeit medicine, they cannot eradicate this phenomenon because Saudis are fond of purchasing products online.

We are a rich country and the pharmaceutical market has more than 4,000 kinds of medicine. Smugglers of counterfeit medications always target the Kingdom and try to sneak their products into the country by land or sea. It is important that the authorities raise public awareness about the dangers and side effects of these medications. Medicine should only be prescribed by doctors and dispensed by approved pharmacists.

The relevant authorities should also crack down on fake medical equipment as it poses a danger to patients. Makkah Daily recently reported that the Saudi Food and Drug Authority had launched an investigation into several deaths because of fake medical equipment. Some 67 people had filed complaints with the Saudi Food and Drug Authority about the poor quality of medical equipment. Some of the complainants had relatives who were in life-threatening situations.

Dr. Valerio Reggi from the World Health Organization’s Health Technology and Pharmaceutical department said: “Most of the counterfeits are detected largely by accident. It means that we are just seeing the tip of the iceberg. We presume there is an iceberg to be found somewhere under the tip, but no one has been able to put their head under the water.”

We should all be careful and avoid fake medications because they can kill.