Counterfeit Medicines are rampant
in many developing countries around the world.
The advancement of technology has also been taken advantage of by many fraudsters and scammers
operating under illegal authorization and against the law. In as much as using technology
being advanced, the ingredients that are being used in producing these
counterfeit medicines are cheaper and what Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
has been warning about.
The Peterson Group, a non-profit
organization campaigning against any use of counterfeit medicines in any forms
of production, manufacture, importation, exportation and distribution features
the known chemicals and substances included in most illegal drugs’ ingredients.
1. Heavy Metals
a. Mercury
Test results from a 2010 study
shows 26% of sampling medicines purchased from fake online pharmacies contains
heavy metal and toxins including mercury. An intake of this element can cause
peripheral neuropathy, skin discoloration, and kidney dysfunction and memory
impairment.
b. Arsenic
Arsenic is found to be the cause
of a death of a woman in 2006. It was found out that she ordered from an online
pharmacy based in Canada and studies show a big amount of arsenic poison in her
medicine.
c. Uranium
Uranium is one of the most deadly
heavy metal which is also used in nuclear bombs. Small doses can cause kidney
dysfunction and urinary tract damage.
2. Actual Poison
a. Rat Poison
On the term itself, intake of
these substances are already hazardous to your health. In one study of hundreds
of Viagra counterfeit medicines in Jakarta, Indonesia in 2012, FDA has found
large amounts of rat poison on all drugs. Even in doses as low as 1gram it can
still cause diarrhea, vomiting, hair loss and even death.
b. Antifreeze
Antifreeze was once substituted
for glycerin killing 365 people in Panama, 88 children in Haiti and harming
many more. Lethal doses as small as 1/3 of a teaspoon can cause liver and
kidney failure.
3. Household Items
a. Wall Paint
This substance is mostly used by
counterfeiters to add color to the drugs. Paint pigments may contain different
kinds of heavy metals which can cause blurred vision, nausea, vomiting and
diarrhea.
b. Floor wax
Floor wax is used to provide a
nice sheen to mimic a medicine’s coating. This material contains formaldehyde
which can cause vomiting, diarrhea and in extreme cases, death.
c. Brick Dust
This is used by fraudsters to
create a similar texture to real medicines. Brick dust contains poisonous heavy
metals and chemicals.
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