COVID Pandemic Fuels Surge In Fake Medical Products: Counterfeiting Incidents Increased By 47%
The issue of counterfeiting continues to be a growing problem worldwide, and pharmaceuticals and healthcare are among the most prominent victims. Counterfeit medicines are not only a safety concern for patients, but it is also a threat for pharmacists and pharmaceutical companies around the world. The COVID-19 pandemic crisis appears to have further aggravated the situation, especially in India. In fact, a study has revealed that incidents of sub-standard and falsified (SF) medical products in the country have increased by 47 per cent from 2020 to 2021.
Authentication Solutions Providers’ Association (ASPA), a leading organisation working towards strengthening India’s fight against fake products, studied the counterfeit incidents that happened during COVID-19 period using data collected through media reports.
The study results showed that counterfeiting incidents in India have risen with a 20 per cent growth from January 2018 to December 2020. There was a 47 per cent increase in such incidents from 2020 (91) to 2021 (134), fuelled by COVID-19 pandemic. These incidents were majorly related to COVID-19 medical products including vaccines, medicines, COVID test kits, antibiotics, face masks and sanitizers, ASPA said in its report.
The report added that incidents of counterfeiting of COVID-19 products were observed in 23 out of 29 states and 7 union territories in India.
Titled “Substandard and falsified medical products, learning from COVID-19 Pandemic and Technological tools to ensure medicines & patient safety”, the ASPA report also provided recommendations to combat this pharmaceutical crime.
Most commonly counterfeited products
Globally, pharmaceutical counterfeit incidents have also risen by nearly 111 per cent over the past 10 years, derailing global efforts to fight life-threatening disease and to achieve its sustainability goals “Right to Health, the report noted.
Antibiotics, painkillers and COVID-19 treatment medicines and kits were identified as the most commonly counterfeited products.
“Criminals have seen the pandemic crisis as an opportunity to sell more and more substandard and falsified medical products, taking advantage of the vulnerability of the people in need,” said Nakul Pasricha, President, Authentication Solution Providers’ Association (ASPA).
He added, “The tremendous adverse impact of the huge increase in circulation of spurious medicine and medical essentials on the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic has almost gone unnoticed. It is unfortunate as criminals produce ineffective or harmful products in packaging that appear identical to genuine products to make them difficult to detect. The circulation and use of these SF medical products violate the Right to Health and slows down the pace of providing quality health services that people deserve. It is high time for firm action to curb this menace. If preventive steps are taken now, we will be better positioned to deliver effective healthcare to patients.”
Counterfeiting is a huge menace for the economy but unfortunately, it been under-estimated and under-treated. Counterfeiting across various industries (Pharma, FMCG, Alcohol, Currency, etc.) causes an estimated 1 Lakh Crore loss to the Indian economy every year, the report stated.
Mandatory QR Codes on Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients
While the report welcomes the Government of India’s decision to make QR Codes mandatory on Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs), it suggested a comprehensive approach towards building an authentication ecosystem in the country.
“Enforcing the mandate on APIs is the right starting point. The consumer will be the ultimate winner due because of this step as it will have a significant impact in making the supply chain more secure and protecting the quality of medicines. This step will be instrumental in distinguishing spurious and original drugs and make the ecosystem less vulnerable to substandard and falsified products,” ASPA said in its report.
For the unversed, APIs are the primary raw materials used in making medicines capsules, tablets, syrups and others.
