Some 30-40% of medicines sold locally ‘are counterfeit’, says manufacturer
By Ahmad Al-Iryani and Hassan Ba-Swaid
www.medindia.com
www.medindia.comJEDDAH – Legal bodies agreed Tuesday on stepping up legal actions against counterfeiters and pirates to protect intellectual property and ensure consumer safety amid reports that many counterfeit products abound in the local markets.
For instance, according to Abdullah Al-Abdelgader, a director of a pharmaceutical manufacturing company, counterfeit medicines account for around 30-40 percent of medicines sold at local pharmacies and hospitals in the Kingdom, exposing the consumers to unimaginable risks as these medicines lack the correct ingredients and, in the worst case scenario, may be filled with highly toxic substances.
On the third and last day of the First Arab Consumer and Brand Protection Forum held here, participants from the medical and pharmaceutical industry said these medicines are manufactured below established standards of quality representing an enormous public health challenge.
For instance, according to Abdullah Al-Abdelgader, a director of a pharmaceutical manufacturing company, counterfeit medicines account for around 30-40 percent of medicines sold at local pharmacies and hospitals in the Kingdom, exposing the consumers to unimaginable risks as these medicines lack the correct ingredients and, in the worst case scenario, may be filled with highly toxic substances.
On the third and last day of the First Arab Consumer and Brand Protection Forum held here, participants from the medical and pharmaceutical industry said these medicines are manufactured below established standards of quality representing an enormous public health challenge.
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