VietNamNet Bridge – The increase in counterfeit medicine and the sophisticated manner in which it was distributed was fast becoming a global concern, officials said.

It was estimated that counterfeit medicine accounted for 10 per cent of the world pharmaceutical market, said Deputy Minister of Health Cao Minh Quang at a meeting on Monday in Ha Noi.

The National Institute of Drug Quality Control discovered 31 counterfeit samples including 20 herbal remedies during 2011, manufactured by both domestic and international companies. Nearly 1000 substandard samples were also found.

Counterfeit medicine to treat HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis were found, said Thai Nguyen Hung Thu, vice principal of the Ha Noi University of Pharmacy.

Some including Viagra or PED51, used to treat erectile dysfunction and pulmonary hypertension, were for sale online, Thu said.

Deputy Minister Quang said counterfeit medicine ruined genuine manufacturers' reputations and was a danger to people's health.

Counterfeit medicine, which contained levels of pharmaceutical substances more or less than permitted, could cause a threat to people's lives, Quang said.

Trading medicine without clear origin or documentation was to blame for the situation, Quang added.

Manufacturers did not inform managerial agencies about counterfeit medicine because they were worried it would affect their business activities and reputations, according to a representative from the Drug Administration of Viet Nam.

Drug quality control agencies were advised to use modern facilities and conduct more random inspections to deter counterfeit medicine in the market, medical experts said.

People should not buy medicine without clear origin or online without a doctor's prescription.

The World Health Organisation defines that a counterfeit medicine is one which is deliberately and fraudulently mislabelled with respect to identity and/or source. Counterfeiting can apply to both branded and generic products and counterfeit products may include products with the correct ingredients or with the wrong ingredients; without active ingredients; with insufficient active ingredients, or fake packaging.

VietNamNet/VNS