Do you know? When you try to cut down on your medical expenses while buying prescription drugs, you are at greater risk of getting fake ones? Are you ready to jeopardize your life at the cost of saving money? If not, then let me tell you how you become exposed to counterfeit drugs when you look for cheap prescription medicines. The dirty practice of cross border drug trafficking has recently chosen the drugs related to erectile dysfunction. Reason behind, it is the most promising market yielding profit. The global drug counterfeiters have understood the stability of the ED market and have become more refined and expert in manufacturing the facsimile of the best-seller drugs like Viagra. The alarming reality of the present situation is represented by the World Health Organization; it estimates global sales of phony medicines at $40 billion this year. The Center for Medicines in the Public Interest in New York predicts that fake drug sales are supposed to reach $75 billion globally in 2010. (Detroit Free Press report) The reason behind WHOs projection on increased counterfeit drug in-flow to US may be because of double-digit increase in drug costs once every year when many Americans are either not covered by the health insurance policies or the drugs are not covered by government insurance policies. As a result, people are paying their own drug costs and hence trying to save money. The counterfeit medicines are creating a threat to the consumer safety mainly through internet marketing. The vice president to the global security Pfizer Inc. says that the internet is an unregulated flea market and the counterfeit medicines are coming from everywhere through internet. US drug supply is one of the safest in the world but that does not guarantee 100% safety of the consumers till the time they are cautious while buying cut-rate generic drugs. The consumers must know the ingredients of the medicines that they are taking already or just going to buy. It has been found that the low-priced prescription drugs contain active ingredients besides the main ingredient of the prescription medicine which may be harmful; many others contain no active ingredient at all or contain as harmful ingredient as boric acid. It is very important for us to know how to buy genuine prescription medicines at a lower price. Save money but not risking our lives and lives of those whom we love. Here are some ways as to let you know how you can save yourself while saving money on drugs. Buy from a local, trustworthy pharmacist. Be sure to check the patient safety information printed in English on the medicine pack. Request the pharmacist to give you the product in the original package of the manufacturer. If the medicine or its package appears unusual, crosscheck with your pharmacist and the manufacturer to know if they've changed the packaging. Do not buy medicines in unfamiliar packaging because unregulated imports are one of the many ways for counterfeits to enter the U.S. market. If you are buying through online pharmacies, chose those online pharmacies which are certified by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy through its Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites (VIPPS) program. At the same time, make sure if it has got a postal address and a license holder of the state where it is located. In case of suspected counterfeiting, immediately report to the FDA MedWatch Program at 800-332-1088 and to the main manufacturer of the medicine. Customer complaints are the major way to find counterfeiting drugs and even stop them. We, the consumers are the one who are going to pay a big price for taking counterfeit drugs both monetarily and physically. A vigilant and proactive approach from the consumers in this issue will be the most logical and absolute protection from the phony drugs and a best way to stop replica manufactures. ___________________________________________________________________ |
