Contemporary Science Issue - Newsletter (Oct 2013) | Page 2

P a g e 2 An ‘Eye Opener’ Counterfeit Pharmaceutical Drugs! Stop Fake Drugs Tamara Parks Counterfeit Pharmaceutical Drugs are ‘fake drugs’ that are potentially harmful to your health if cons u m ed . E t h i c al l y speaking, anyone who intentionally engages in the production and or distribution of these drugs deserves to be penalized. The potential for detrimental consequences to members of our society is simply criminal. The root impact of counterfeit drugs is their negative effects on consumer health. These deleterious effects on health may result from the consumption of counterfeit pharmaceutical drugs that are contaminated, or those that are comprised of incorrect proportions of the ingredients in genuine pharmaceuticals. Moreover, counterfeit pharmaceuticals composed of non-active ingredients fail to ad- Technically, persons are hoaxed into believing their health is being restored, when in fact, it is quite the opposite. The resulting negative impact on consumer health is likely to lead in turn to ever increasing stress on the Public health system. The country’s health system may be called upon to accommodate a higher number of sick persons, resulting in the need for expansion of its infrastructure and increased medical personnel. In addition, there will be additional costs related to public service campaigns aimed at minimizing the threat of citizens being duped into using these bogus drugs. Apart from these two impacts of counterfeit pharmaceutical drugs on our society, many others exist. Knowledge of how the consumption of counterfeit drugs affects lives and places a strain on our economy should provide readers with the necessary information to join in the fight against the use of fake Can You tell the difference? Counterfeit vs Real Drugs… Source: Roger Bates, Counterfeit drugs. It is extremely im- Drugs, 2009 portant that this message be spread. Citation:"Budget 2013/2014 highlights." 9 9 2013. News.gov.tt. 8 10 2013 . WISE-N-WELL