Counterfeit medications

A counterfeit medication or a counterfeit drug is a medication or pharmaceutical item which is produced and sold with the intent to deceptively represent its origin, authenticity, or effectiveness. A counterfeit drug may contain inappropriate quantities of active ingredients, or none, may be improperly processed within the body (e.g., absorption by the body), may contain ingredients that are not on the label (which may or may not be harmful), or may be supplied with inaccurate or fake packaging and labeling. Counterfeit drugs are related to pharma fraud. Drug manufacturers and distributors are increasingly investing in countermeasures, such as traceability and authentication technologies, to try to minimise the impact of counterfeit drugs.^[1][2] Antibiotics with insufficient quantities of an active ingredient add to the problem of antibiotic resistance.^[3]

Legitimate, correctly labeled, low-cost generic drugs are not counterfeit or fake (although they can be counterfeited much as brand name drugs can be), but can be caught up in anticounterfeiting enforcement measures.^[4] In that respect, a debate is raging as to whether "counterfeit products [are] first and foremost a threat to human health and safety or [whether] provoking anxiety [is] just a clever way for wealthy nations to create sympathy for increased protection of their intellectual property rights".^[4] Generic drugs are subject to normal regulations in countries where they are manufactured and sold.