ONE OF the country's leading distributors of pharmaceuticals, as well as a health ministry official, are warning the public against buying substandard medicines from 'unscrupulous', informal salesman.
According to Lascelles Chin, chief executive officer (CEO) and chairman of the Lasco Group of Companies, which also distributes pharmaceuticals, the society needs to "be careful of those who bring the suitcase medication ... A lot of unscrupulous persons are playing with people's lives."
He was speaking during the Nurses Association of Jamaica (NAJ)/Lasco Group of Companies Nurse of the Year Awards ceremony on Friday.
Citing reports from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) and the World Health Organisation (WHO), Mr. Chin said as high as 60 per cent of cases involving such counterfeit medicinal practices occur in developing countries. The FDA indicates that annual earnings from the sale of counterfeit medication and substandard drugs is US$32 billion.
"In other words, too many people are getting substandard medication, which translates to improper and insufficient help. Patient health, safety and access to standard medical treatments are in jeopardy," said Mr. Chin.
He urged medical practitioners, pharmacies, distributors and the public to be vigilant and report these substandard practices. He also appealed to persons selling counterfeit medication to resist the "big money" and save lives.
Meanwhile, a Ministry of Health official says the Government is monitoring the market to reduce sales of counterfeit medication. "We are putting measures in place to ensure that counterfeit medicines do not enter the island," said Lloyd Maxwell, acting permanent secretary. He made his comments as he brought greetings on behalf of Health Minister, John Junor, at Friday's function.
It was also disclosed at Friday's function that there has been a rise in the number of counterfeit medicines accessible in the developing world.
The awards ceremony, held at the Knutsford Court Hotel in New Kingston, ended a week of activities to mark Nurses Week. It was celebrated under the theme, 'Nurses for Patient Safety: Targeting Counterfeit and Substandard Medicine'.
