Ho Chi Minh City discovered many establishments selling fake drugs. What kind of drugs are they?

fake medicine - Photo 1.

The Drug Administration ( Ministry of Health ) guides how to distinguish between real and fake Cefixim 200 - Photo: Drug Administration

According to the report of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health , in 2024, the Department of Health inspected 174 drug wholesalers and 344 drug retailers, 40 wholesale and retail establishments of medicinal herbs.

The Department of Health has issued 151 decisions on administrative sanctions for violations in the health sector, handling 147 establishments with a total fine of more than 7 billion VND.

It is worth mentioning that during the process of inspecting and supervising pharmaceutical business establishments, the Department of Health discovered 6 establishments selling fake Cefuroxim 500mg and 2 establishments selling fake Cefixim 200mg.

In addition, through feedback from the people, the Department of Health Inspectorate inspected and discovered a pharmacy selling fake Neo-Codion medicine. Immediately after that, the Department of Health inspected the related facilities and prepared a file to transfer to the police for handling.

Speaking to Tuoi Tre Online , Associate Professor Nguyen Huu Duc - former lecturer of clinical pharmacy at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy (HCMC) - said that of the three fake drugs above, there are two antibiotics (Cefuroxim 500mg, Cefixim 200mg) and the treatment drug Neo-Codion.

Specifically, Cefuroxime is an antibiotic used to treat infectious diseases such as: respiratory tract infections, digestive infections, urinary tract infections...

Similarly, Cefixim is a fairly common antibiotic, treating infections such as: upper respiratory tract infections, bacterial pharyngitis, tonsillitis, otitis media, bronchitis...

As for Neo-Codion, this is a drug commonly used in the treatment of dry cough, however, it is a prescription drug. These preparations contain codeine - a mildly addictive substance, so it must be used as prescribed by a doctor.

In case the drug is mixed with toxic substances or fake addictive substances, it can lead to neurological disorders, cardiovascular and internal organ damage.

According to Associate Professor Duc, using fake antibiotics is very dangerous and can cause many serious health consequences. Notably, the ingredients of the drugs are unknown and contain banned substances. When taken, they can be toxic to the liver, kidneys, or cause allergies and anaphylactic shock.

"If unfortunately using fake medicine, the patient and doctor will be subjective, making the disease worse, making treatment difficult.

In addition, using fake drugs with insufficient active ingredients also promotes drug-resistant bacteria, making future treatment more difficult," said Mr. Duc.

Associate Professor Duc recommends strict measures to control counterfeit drugs. When people are sick, they need to go to reputable facilities to be examined, evaluated and prescribed medication by a doctor.

Previously, in August 2024, the Drug Administration of Vietnam (Ministry of Health) also sent a document to the Department of Health of provinces and cities regarding the discovery of fake Cefixim 200 antibiotics and requested units to verify and strengthen management.

Fake Cefixim 200 (Cefixim 200mg is a commonly used antibiotic) appeared in many provinces and cities such as Thanh Hoa, Binh Duong , Thua Thien Hue.