Health: Drug Piracy Sets Record in Brazil

By ETCO

Source: Felipe Vieira - RS - 29/09/2009

Piracy, which already represents huge losses to the economy, shows its most cruel face: counterfeiting of medicines, which broke a record in the first months of the year. According to a survey by the National Health Surveillance Agency, 316 tons of these drugs were apprehended in the first half of 2009. In the same period last year, the actions carried out jointly with the Federal Police resulted in a total of 45,5 tons of false drugs seized.

For the president of Marpa - Brands, Patents and Innovations, Valdomiro Soares, the data is staggering, especially if added by the estimate of the World Health Organization, which points out that 10% of the medicines consumed in the world are not original.

 “With this number, we are living with a problem of piracy that goes far beyond the ethical issue and the defense of industrial property. We are talking about a serious risk to the health of the population ”, he says.

Valdomiro informs that there are projects being jointly managed by Anvisa and the National Council to Combat Piracy, with the objective of tracking medicines from their production to their commercialization. According to him, it is an important measure, but more implementation is needed, in addition to intensifying inspections.

The president of Marpa recalls that the fight against drug piracy must be more energetic, since, according to WHO data, this market should generate US $ 75 billion per year until 2010.


While the laws are no longer strict, Marpa recalls that Anvisa itself suggests a series of consumer care measures to avoid fake products:


1) Only take medication by prescription from your doctor;



2) never buy drugs at fairs and street vendors;



3) always require the invoice from the pharmacy or drugstore;



4) if the medication stops working, immediately see your doctor;



5) always check the medicine packaging: the expiration date, if the name of the medicine is well printed and can be read easily; if there are tears, erasures or any information that has been erased or scraped; the name of the pharmacist responsible for manufacture and the number of his registration with the Regional Pharmacy Council are stated. The registration of the responsible pharmacist must be from the same state where the drug factory is located. The medication must be registered with the Ministry of Health and the lot number, which is printed on the outside, must be the same as the one printed on the bottle or on the internal card.


6) do not buy medications with crumpled packaging, broken seals, labels that come off easily or are erased and smudged;



7) ask the pharmacist for help in identifying the drug data (validity, etc.)



8) in case of suspicion or difference found, the consumer should ask for guidance in the Health Dial: 0800-611997.