Counterfeit and fake medicines and their threat to delivery of quality health care to our society: a way forward

Abstract

Background: Counterfeit and fake drugs serve as a mean of generating illegal money to the culprits at the expenseof the patient, health care providers and the entire healthcare system. The lucrative nature of this dirty businessposes danger of the malicious so-called drugs being in the circulation, which consequently hamper the delivery ofquality health care services to the populace. However, governments at various levels should not accede to themenace of counterfeit drugs by putting many strategies in place in order to subdue their hazardous impact on thecommunity. This article aimed to review the prevalence of counterfeit and fake medicines in Nigeria, as well asvarious methods employed by the perpetrators in counterfeiting and faking medicines. It also highlights strategies tobe adapted by the relevant government agencies in order to bring the peril to its minimum bearable level.

methodology: An intensive study of the literatures and oral interviews on counterfeit and fake medicines in Nigeria was done. This was achieved through accessing public libraries and data from the internet. Additionally, reports from Zamfara State task force on counterfeit and unwholesome products was studied and reflected in this article.

results: The threats depicted by continuing existence of counterfeit and fake medicines are real. The consequence include: Morbidity and mortality as a result of treatment failure, decreases confidence on healthcare providers, among other shortcomings. Nonetheless, the task forces counter faking efforts brought down the circulation of counterfeit and fake medicines to a lower level in recent time, although more could be done in order to curtail the menace.

conclusion: Although governments are making a lot of efforts to limit the spread of counterfeit and fake medicines in the country, the change of tactics by the perpetrators among other factors, make the efforts insufficient for curtailing the menace, hence more need to be done.

Keywords: Counterfeit and fake drugs, Quality healthcare delivery, Healthcare system, Nigeria