Counterfeit drugs can cause patients to lose their chance of living.

Thanh Hoa Provincial Police have just broken up a large-scale nationwide ring of counterfeit pharmaceutical production and trading, arresting and prosecuting 14 defendants for the crime of "producing and trading in counterfeit disease prevention and treatment drugs".

The provincial police force has recorded the seizure of 21 types of modern medicine, fake bone and joint medicine; seized raw materials and equipment for the production of fake medicine. This is a shocking issue for the people after the fake milk incident was recently exposed.

Consequences of counterfeit drugs

According to Dr. Nguyen Huy Hoang, Vietnam-Russia Tropical Center, Ministry of National Defense , prescription drugs (a type of pharmaceutical that requires strict instructions from a doctor) are being counterfeited at an increasingly sophisticated level in Vietnam.

According to the 2016 Pharmacy Law, counterfeit drugs are products that do not contain active ingredients, have the wrong active ingredients, have incorrect dosages, or have counterfeit manufacturers. The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies counterfeit drugs as “silent killers” in countries with many loopholes in their regulatory systems. Vietnam is no exception to that trend.

Dr. Hoang said that there are many dangerous consequences from fake drugs. The common direct consequence for patients is treatment failure. Especially for critical diseases such as infections, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, missing the golden time because of fake drugs means losing the chance to live.

Patients may face poisoning and allergies due to many counterfeit drugs containing dangerous impurities, causing damage to the liver, kidneys, cardiovascular system or anaphylactic reactions, which can be fatal.

Produced in unsanitary conditions, counterfeit drugs in the form of injections or vaccines can cause systemic infections. In addition, deaths after taking counterfeit drugs have been recorded and can be criminally prosecuted at the highest level – the death penalty.

Types of counterfeit pharmaceutical drugs include:

Allopathic medicines: 44 boxes of Tetracycline, 40 boxes of Clorocid, 49 boxes of Pharcoter, 52 boxes of Neo-Codion (for cough and irritation).

Medicines for bone and joint pain: 1,232 boxes of Rheumatoid Arthritis Medicine; 4,122 boxes of Tui Hua Shen Jing Tong (commonly known as Singaporean degenerative medicine); 2,285 boxes of Cordyceps Ginseng Velvet Spleen and Appetite Great Tonic Medicine; 1,923 boxes of Profeessor's Pill (commonly known as Green Joint); 5,172 boxes of Mujarhabat Kapsul (commonly known as Green Joint); 2,017 boxes of Gai Cot Hoan medicine; 930 boxes of Toa Cot Thien Ma Thong Phong Hoan medicine; 6,612 boxes of Tuyet Lien Thien Ma Bao Khop Hoan medicine; 1,014 boxes of Bach Xa Vuong rheumatism medicine; 4,743 boxes of Rheumatoid Arthritis Medicine; 845 boxes of Multi-sinus medicine; 4,012 boxes of Vien Vai Co medicine; 2,413 boxes of Yuan Bone medicine; 834 boxes of Thoai Cot Hoan plus medicine; 515 boxes of Rheumatoid Arthritis Medicine; 657 boxes of single degenerative medicine for sciatica.

The indirect consequences of counterfeit drugs are antibiotic resistance, increased treatment costs, and prolonged treatment times. Counterfeit antibiotics prevent bacteria from being completely destroyed, promoting resistance. This is a global health crisis.

"The presence of counterfeit drugs creates a vicious cycle: treatment failure-complications-higher treatment costs-burden on the health system and increased risk of death," Dr. Hoang warned.

Counterfeit drugs can cause patients to lose their chance to live photo 1

Dr. Nguyen Huy Hoang, Vietnam-Russia Tropical Center, Ministry of Defense.

Counterfeit modern medicines also have a huge impact on the pharmaceutical industry and the country, especially on the health system, which will increase treatment costs due to having to deal with complications; waste resources from hospital beds, human resources, medicines; increase testing and investigation costs for management agencies.

The most important social consequence is that people lose confidence in the medical industry. "Even drugs prescribed by doctors are suspect. Doctors and pharmacists are suspected of irresponsibility or collusion.

The VN Pharma case exposed a lack of transparency, causing serious damage to trust in the Ministry of Health, the Drug Administration and the authorities. Obviously, the crisis of trust is not just an emotional matter, but also has a negative impact on the effectiveness of the entire health care system," Dr. Hoang cited.

The penalty is not enough of a deterrent.

According to Dr. Hoang, the current penalty for the production and trading of counterfeit drugs is very strict. According to the 2016 Pharmacy Law, it is absolutely forbidden to trade in counterfeit drugs, drugs without a license, drugs not registered for circulation, or sell prescription drugs without a prescription.

Article 194 of the Penal Code also stipulates the highest penalties for the crime of manufacturing and trading in counterfeit drugs (Individuals: From 2 years in prison to death penalty; Legal entities: Fine from 1-20 billion VND, temporary or permanent suspension of operations; Administrative sanctions: Fine up to 140 million VND for acts that are not yet criminally prosecuted).

"The penalties are very severe, but fake drug rings still persist, especially in cyberspace. This shows that the major barrier lies not in the legal framework but in enforcement capacity, detection ability and inter-sectoral coordination," Dr. Hoang said.

Therefore, Dr. Hoang believes that to solve this problem, there needs to be a comprehensive solution from law, technology to community.

Accordingly, it is necessary to tighten control over prescription drugs; review regulations on online drug sales; and make licensing and price management processes transparent.

To improve enforcement capacity, it is necessary to train qualified functional forces; strengthen inter-sectoral and international coordination. In particular, it is necessary to strictly handle and publicize major cases to deter subjects.

In addition, applying technology such as applying traceability encryption, blockchain, QR code; developing a national database of circulating drugs; using artificial intelligence and data analysis to monitor the market.

Dr. Hoang also recommends that pharmacists and doctors are the first line of defense in detecting counterfeit drugs, so they need to proactively advise, report suspicions, and guide patients.

He stressed that counterfeit prescription drugs are not only a threat to individuals, but also to public health, the development of the pharmaceutical industry and national prestige. The fight against this problem cannot be successful without the consensus of the Government, authorities, medical staff and the people themselves.

"The legal framework is in place, the technology is available, what is needed now is synchronous, drastic and persistent action. Only when we are all vigilant, speak up and act, can we gradually push fake drugs out of our lives, protect lives and social trust in a sustainable way," said Dr. Hoang.

Source: https://nhandan.vn/thuoc-gia-co-the-khien-nguoi-benh-mat-co-hoi-song-post873136.html