Every morning, as you greet the day and shake your prescribed medicine into your hand, you’re trusting that they’re authentic. Worldwide, though, counterfeit medications are more common than some might think.  

The chances of your medication being fake are small, but there’s still a risk. You can make the best-informed decisions about your health, by knowing what fake medicines are, how to identify fake medicines and how to recognize and verify advertisements for medicine and health services approved by the Ministry of Health.  

How To Check and Identify Fake Medicines 

In a side-by-side comparison, it can be difficult to tell the difference between a counterfeit and real medication. In fact, according to Amy Callanan, a Global Intelligence Lead, Pfizer Global Security, there's only one way to be sure. 

"It really takes laboratory testing to confirm 100% if a medication is authentic or counterfeit," she says. "But there are 'tells' customers can look for, which may or may not be present. It's important to know the absence of these signs doesn't mean the medication is authentic — it just means those particular tells aren’t there." 

Although these indicators won't be present with every counterfeit, Callanan advises patients to be on the lookout for: 

"Reputable pharmaceutical companies make a really high-quality product that's going to stand up to travel and storage," Callanan says. "As long as it hasn't undergone some horrible torture like being left on the car dashboard for three weeks, it should look the same at least until its expiration date." 

To avoid many of these issues, make all in-person prescription purchases at a commercial pharmacy. Avoid farmers markets, flea markets, or other stores.¹

You can also verify the authenticity of the MAL registration number and FarmaTag™ hologram on medicine products through the Tolak Ubat Tidak Sah (ToBATS) website here.² 

So, You Think Your Drug Is Counterfeit – Now What? 

If you suspect your medication is fake, most importantly, don't take it. Call your doctor and pharmacy to let them know and ask about your next steps. 

Reach out to the pharmaceutical manufacturer, as well. They have records of each drug batch they produce. If yours doesn't fall in line with their records, they will know. Company representatives can also tell you how to properly dispose of counterfeits. You can search the Buy Safely site for official drug disposal locations, too. 

"It's possible the company may be able to identify your meds as counterfeit over the phone. It may be a known counterfeit lot number," Callanan says. "Pharmaceutical companies keep track of complaints and accumulate data on counterfeits. Sometimes the counterfeit product will have a lot number that is not a real lot number and if you call in with a product that has a certain lot number, they might be able tell you if your meds are counterfeit." 

There is one more step you should take. To report fake pharmaceuticals, visit the Ministry of Health’s Sistem Pengurusan Aduan Awam (SISPAA) portal.  

Ultimately, as long as you buy prescriptions from a brick-and-mortar or reliable online pharmacy, you can be confident your medication is authentic. Still, knowing how to identify fake medicines can keep you and your loved ones safe in the long run.  

Adverse Event Report 

If you experience any side effects after taking Pfizer medications, contact DSU Malaysia at [email protected] or +60322816000.