Fake and Counterfeit Drug: A review
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Drugs are used to cure or treat disease, relieve symptoms, ease pain, prevent disease or symptoms,eliminate or reduce symptoms and to slow the disease process. The problem of fake drugs is wide spread affecting both developing and developed nations, assumes added significance in view of rapid globalisation and is assuming a dangerous dimension in most countries. METHODOLOGY: A review of literature on counterfeit drug and it impact was done. The articles were accessed from public libraries, as well as online through internet search engines and relevant information extracted. RESULTS: The burden of counterfeit is a enormous and can result in treatment failure, end organs damage and toxicity, death, economic loss as well as of loss of confidence in the healthcare system Conclusion: Trade in counterfeit drugs appears to be wide spread and affects both developing and developed countries. The fight against counterfeit and fake drugs is multisectional and requires a prolonged approach. It requires all stake holders to contribute actively in order to achieve success. Keywords: Counterfeit, drugs, reviewOn acceptance, the copyright of a manuscript will be vested in the journal and publisher. Articles published in Afrimedic journal are distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License which allows for unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, for any non-commercial purpose, subject to proper citation of the original work.