Even though there is still a danger, if you know what they are, how to identify them, and where to get them, your prescription is unlikely to be fake. You can improve your health by learning about fake medicines, how they function, and how to spot them.
According to Raphe Pharmaceuticals, you can figure out whether a medicine is real or fake by looking for certain characteristics.
It’s a fact that worldwide, counterfeit medicines are more prevalent than some people imagine; however, every morning when you shake your prescribed medicine into your hand, you trust it to be authentic.
Between 10 and 40% of medicines sold in lower- and middle-income countries are thought to be counterfeit, whereas less than 1% of medicines sold in retail pharmacies in the United States are thought to be counterfeit, according to studies.
It’s true that the odds of your meds being counterfeit are low, but you still need to be careful. By learning about counterfeit medicines, how to identify them, and how to pick a reputable pharmacy, you can improve your health.
To detect and recognise counterfeit pharmaceuticals.
When comparing medicines side by side, it is difficult to tell whether they are genuine or counterfeit. According to Amy Callanan, a Pfizer Global Security Global Intelligence Lead, the only way to be certain is to ask your doctor.
Although a customer’s ‘tells’ may or may not be present, they may still be able to tell if a drug is real or counterfeit. It is significant to note that the lack of these indications does not imply that the drug is authentic – they simply aren’t present. To verify the authenticity of a drug, laboratory testing is required.
Although patients might not experience each of these warning signs, Callan recommends being aware of them:
Buying pharmaceutical products from a reputable company is critical, Callanan says. “It should at least maintain the same appearance until its expiration date, unless it has been tortured in some horrible way, such as being left on a car dashboard for three weeks in July. It should be able to withstand transportation and storage as long as it has not been subjected to such brutality.”
Avoid purchasing prescription drugs in person at a farmer’s market or flea market. 1
It’s important to locate a reputable pharmacy.
The assurance that an authentic prescription will come from your local pharmacy is reassuring, Callanan says. The pharmaceutical supply chain in the United States has many safeguards to prevent the distribution of counterfeit medicine, she says. Despite the fact that 6.3 billion prescriptions are dispensed annually—roughly one counterfeit exception for every 6,000 prescriptions—the supply chain is extremely secure, she says.
It’s safe to purchase from brick-and-mortar pharmacies in developed countries, in Callanan’s opinion. Counterfeit drugs are of interest and newsworthy because they are not commonplace. Despite this, the rate of counterfeit medication in the United States is low, she adds.
How, then, can you guarantee that you are buying legitimate medications rather than counterfeits if you buy them online? To ease your concerns, the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy(NABP, 2013) developedBuy Safely.
You can immediately determine if a site is a reliable pharmacy by typing in the site’s URL. Your physician can also direct you to state-sanucted, safe online pharmacies. 3
Seek out the “.pharmacy” domain when searching for an online pharmacy. NABP’s Verified Websites Program certifies online pharmacies that abide by all statutory and administrative demands by assigning this recognising domain. If you see this domain, you’ll know you’re dealing with a dependable online pharmacy website.
Although bogus sites may appear sophisticated and legitimate, you can still spot a pattern if you look closely and compare them. That is a big red flag.
According to Callanan, spotting fake medications on online pharmacies is simple. All the material will look and feel the same, he states. If a website seems to be based on a template, that might be a warning sign.
TheFDA’sConsumerSafetyGuideoffersadditionalguidance onhow tosafelypurchaseonlineprescriptions.
It is crucial to stay informed about current events.
If you suspect that your medicine is fake, what should you do?
You should alert your doctor and pharmacy if you believe your medicine is counterfeit. However, do not take it.
Company representatives can also provide information about how to properly dispose of counterfeits. Company representatives can tell if your drug batch doesn’t match theirs. The Buy Safely website also lists official drug disposal locations.
According to Callanan, the company may be able to tell if your drugs are counterfeit over the phone if you mention the lot number. If the lot number is not an authentic lot number, your medications may be counterfeit. Pharmaceutical firms keep track of counterfeits and collect data on them, he says. They may be able to tell you if your drugs are counterfeit if you mention a particular lot number.
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