Abstract
Purpose: The problem of fake and counterfeit drugs is real and constitutes a major threat to the health and safety of the Nigerian population. A descriptive study was carried out to assess the methods of identification of counterfeit drugs by community pharmacists in Lagos State. Methods: The research instrument was a 23-item questionnaire, which was administered to consenting community pharmacists in 17 out of the 20 Local Government Areas in Lagos State. A convenient sample of practicing community pharmacists both in retail and wholesale distribution of pharmaceutical products were recruited into the study using a list of registered pharmacists from the Association of Community Pharmacists in Lagos State. Effort was made to ensure adequate representation of Pharmacies in every local government area in Lagos State. Results: All the respondents agreed that there is a fake and counterfeit drug problem in Nigeria, and (74%) considered this a major problem. The respondents commonly used visual security techniques before drug purchasing. These were: Seals/embossments (83%), character of print (77%), and Holograms (68%).The respondents' most likely action after a counterfeit drug encounter was to return the drug back to the supplier. Conclusion: The study showed that pharmacists sampled were aware of the prevalence of fake and counterfeit drugs and quite a number of them have had encounters with them. There is an indication that the respondents try to assure themselves of the quality of the drugs they purchase by use of several methods. However, no rigorous effort was taken to confirm as well as report suspected fake and counterfeit drugs to regulatory authorities. Keywords: Community pharmacists, drug identification, fake and counterfeit drugs. > Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research Vol. 5 (1) 2006: pp. 545-550
Highlights
The problem of fake and counterfeit drugs exists in both developed and developing countries
The objectives of this study were to: determine the frequency of fake and counterfeit drug experiences; identify the most common methods of identifying such drug products; assess the use of visual clues in identification of fake and counterfeit drugs and to determine likely action following the detection of counterfeit drugs by community pharmacists in Lagos State, Nigeria
Setting Data was collected for this study from 17 out of the 20 statutory local government areas (LGAs) in Lagos State
Summary
The problem of fake and counterfeit drugs exists in both developed and developing countries. [3] The World Health Organisation (WHO) has estimated that 10% of global pharmaceutical commerce is in counterfeit drugs and is present in all countries. Pharmacists are the custodians of drugs and have the responsibility for sourcing, manufacturing, distributing, dispensing and monitoring the outcome of drug therapy on users. This is strictly not so in the Nigerian context where drug distribution is chaotic and has become an all-comers affair. There has been no study carried out to investigate how pharmacists, in the community setting identify or differentiate between genuine and fake / counterfeit drug products. The objectives of this study were to: determine the frequency of fake and counterfeit drug experiences; identify the most common methods of identifying such drug products; assess the use of visual clues in identification of fake and counterfeit drugs and to determine likely action following the detection of counterfeit drugs by community pharmacists in Lagos State, Nigeria
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