Substandard and falsified medical products: Advice to patients and consumers

9 December 2019 | Questions and answers
How can I spot an SF medical product?

Some falsified medical products are almost visually identical to the genuine product and very difficult to detect. However, many can be identified through the following steps:
  • Examine the packaging for condition, spelling mistakes or grammatical errors.
  • Check the manufacturing and expiry dates, and ensure any details on the outer packaging match the dates shown on the inner packaging.
  • Ensure the medicine looks correct, is not discoloured, degraded or has an unusual smell.
  • If you suspect it is not working properly or have suffered an adverse reaction, discuss with your pharmacist or Doctor as soon as possible.

How can I avoid SF medical products?

The following steps will help minimise the risk from SF medical products:
  • Source from trusted and licensed outlets, e.g. pharmacies, clinics, doctors, hospitals, health centres.
  • Avoid unregistered websites supplying medical products that conceal their physical address or landline telephone number.
  • Examine the packaging for condition, spelling mistakes or grammatical errors.
  • Check the manufacturing and expiry dates.
  • Ensure the medicine looks correct, is not discoloured, degraded or has an unusual smell.
  • If you suspect it is not working properly or have suffered an adverse reaction, discuss with your pharmacist or Doctor as soon as possible.

What should I do if I think I have an SF medical product?

You should discuss your suspicion with a pharmacist, Doctor or other healthcare professional. You should also report your suspicion to the National Medicines Regulatory Authority.

In cases where you have suffered an adverse reaction to the medicine, including its failure to work properly, you should report this to a healthcare professional immediately.

Are SF medical products available on the internet?

Unregulated websites supplying medicines, particularly those concealing their physical address or landline telephone number are frequently the source of unlicensed, substandard and falsified medical products. Consumers should be aware of the following

  • Do not respond to SPAM e mail advertising medicines
  • Look for a verification logo or certificate and check it out for authenticity
  • Look for spelling mistakes and poor grammar
  • Beware websites that do not display a physical address or landline
  • Beware websites offering prescription only medicines without a prescription
  • Beware suspiciously low priced products or 2 for 1 offers
On receipt of medicines that you have purchased on line consumers should check the following
  • Have you received exactly the medicine you ordered
  • Is it the correct dosage
  • Is the packaging in good condition, clean, with a patient information leaflet and in the language in which it was advertised
  • Does the medicine look, feel and smell as it should
  • If security seals are present are they intact with no sign of tampering
  • Does any Customs declaration or postal label declare the contents as medicines
  • Does the batch number and expiry date on the primary internal packaging match the batch number and expiry date on the secondary (external) packaging
  • Have you noticed any unusual activity on your credit card since the purchase
  • European Union
  • US Food and Drugs Administration
  • US National Association of Boards of Pharmacy

WHO TEAM
Incidents and SF (ISF), Regulation and safety (REG)