Counterfeit drugs have developed into a
serious global problem in recent years.
Even in countries with a safe system for
marketing medicinal products, patients
must know their risks. More and more
counterfeit drugs are being offered for
sale on the market. Five times as many
counterfeit drugs were confiscated by
the European customs authorities in 2013
than in the previous year. The WHO
estimates that an average of thirty
percent of all medicines sold worldwide
are falsified. The drugs often contain no
active substances at all, sometimes other
substances or incorrect doses. A health
risk posed by counterfeit medicines is immense.
They can be fatal. Packages and
capsules or tablets are imitated
perfectly by criminal counterfeiters.
Patients therefore often find it
impossible to distinguish counterfeit
drugs visually from the original
products. Only detailed analysis reveals
the differences. Most of the fake drugs
are either offered via spam emails or
distributed directly via illegal
internet vendors whose websites look
very similar to those of reputable and
legal online pharmacies. The WHO
estimates that fifty percent of all
drugs offered illegally on the internet
are counterfeit and that global sales of
these fakes totals 75 billion euros a
year. This makes this business several
times more lucrative than dealing in
cocaine and heroin. Drug counterfeiters
not only threaten the health of the
patients, they also reduce people's
confidence in a safe drug supply. Bayer
HealthCare's top priority is the
protection of patients. For many years, we
have been committed worldwide to the
fight against the production and
proliferation of dangerous counterfeit
drugs. Please support us and always play
it safe when it comes to medications.
Only buy drugs from trustworthy
suppliers. Should you suspect that you
have purchased counterfeit drugs, report
this to the responsible authorities or
the pharmaceutical manufacturers. Help us
in the fight against the international
crime of drug counterfeiting. We can help
you with our information website
"Beware of counterfeits," where you will find some
tips on how to protect yourself against
counterfeit drugs.
