OECS launches campaign against counterfeit medicines
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| Published on Thursday, June 12, 2008 |
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CASTRIES, St Lucia: The OECS has mounted an advocacy campaign to help identify and deal with counterfeit medicines. This has come through a series of regional consultations, which started in Castries on June 5, 2008.
The OECS Pharmaceutical Procurement Service (OECS/PPS) which is facilitating the exercise says participants were amazed at the magnitude and dangers posed by counterfeit drugs.
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| Francis Burnett |
Law enforcement officers, health sector officials, and civil society are involved in the battle to help keep the menace of counterfeit medicines away from the sub-region.
Managing Director of the OECS/PPS, Francis Burnett, says it is time the issue receives the attention it truly deserves noting that the narco-trafficking of illegal substances is often magnified, while the counterfeiting of prescription drugs is trivialized: “The threat of counterfeit medicines and the impact on public health is far more dangerous than narco-trafficking because most times, most persons who consume illegal drugs such as marijuana and cocaine take them almost voluntarily. They may be addicted and therefore they have an overwhelming need to take it. But when we consume counterfeit medicines we are victims of unscrupulous traders and we take them unknowingly to curb our disease and often times it worsens our condition.”
Burnett says the first in the series of national inter-sectoral consultations met all of its objectives. It recommended the distribution of core guidelines for the general public on issues regarding counterfeit medicines. Participants also noted the need for a Pharmacy Inspector in St. Lucia. The inspector will be empowered to enter the premises of a pharmacy and retain any suspected cases of counterfeit medicines for investigations and follow-up.
Burnett underscored the importance of a Pharmacy Inspector for St. Lucia citing that country’s significant population size, compared to the other OECS Member States. The stakeholders also suggested the use of a method from Brazil that helps law enforcement officials in standard operating procedures for detecting and dealing with counterfeit medicines at points of entry.
Burnett added that the Pan American Health organization is to assist in developing supportive legislative framework to facilitate the successful detection and combating of counterfeit medicines:
“In several countries in the past, even suspected counterfeiters have been able to exploit loopholes in legislation in those countries when counterfeiters are represented by skilled defense attorneys and therefore we have to train our law enforcement officers in terms of rules of evidence and court procedures because it’s a highly specialized area. We have just started a long process. The governments of the OECS and the law enforcement agencies must play their part. We are in this together with our governments,” said Burnett
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| Dr Jimmy Fletcher |
Another instructive moment in the meeting was the viewing of a BBC Documentary on the horrible and fatal effects of fake medicines. Director of the OECS Social and Sustainable Development Division, Dr James Fletcher, revealed some frightening information on the growing illegal trade.
Fletcher said in many cases counterfeit medicines can be fatal: “Diethylene Glycol is sweet tasting but it is also considerably cheaper than glycerin which is a safe solvent that is most used in drugs, food and tooth paste. This is how the literature describes the effects of poisoning in children from consuming drugs contaminated with Diethylene Glycol: The kidneys fail first then the central nervous system begins to misfire, paralysis spreads making breathing difficult then often impossible without assistance. In the end most victims die.”
Statistics also show that 60 percent of all counterfeit medicines have no active ingredient at all. An anti counterfeit medicines poster, which was unveiled at the opening seminar is the guiding symbol of the OECS advocacy campaign against the corrupt practice of counterfeit medicines.
Posters are being distributed to health centres, hospitals, law enforcement offices, places of entertainment and other strategic venues. Billboards will also be erected. To date there is no documented evidence of counterfeit medicines in the OECS.
A synopsis of the first national stakeholder dialogue on tackling counterfeit medicines will be presented to the OECSPPS Technical Advisory Committee on June 20, 2008. | | | | Reads : 773 | | | |
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