People all over the world rely on medication for things like managing chronic illness, preventing pregnancy, and treating life-threatening diseases. 

Yet people unknowingly consume counterfeit drugs every day, even in developed countries with well-regulated healthcare systems.¹ They put their lives at risk for something they should be able to trust. The pharmaceutical industry and global drug regulators are constantly working to keep any below standard and fraudulent drugs out of circulation. The Pharmacy Enforcement Division of the Ministry of Health (MOH) will persist in overseeing and enforcing regulations to protect consumer safety. Consumers also play a crucial role in ensuring that the medications they buy are safe, high-quality, and effective. It is advised that consumers should not be easily swayed by online advertisements, testimonials, or vendors offering inexpensive medicines or products with unverified claims.²

But questions remain: What exactly are counterfeit drugs? How big is the counterfeit drug problem? And who’s at risk? 

What are Fake Drugs?  

Fake drugs are manufactured and packaged to look like legitimate brand-name medications but often contain little to none of the active ingredients listed on the label. Fakes drugs in the illicit supply chain pose a serious potential risk to unsuspecting patients. 

In some cases, these fake drugs simply don’t provide the needed therapeutic value as they may lack the active ingredients. In the worst case, some contain dangerous products. According to Interpol, “some fake medicines have been found to contain mercury, arsenic, rat poison, or cement.”³

Consuming counterfeit drugs can have serious consequences for individuals, communities, and overall global public health. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), one of every 10 medicines fails in low- and middle-income countries because they are substandard or falsified. Not only does this erode public trust in healthcare, but it also leads to preventable deaths. For example, between 72,430 and 169,271 children have died of pneumonia each year after taking counterfeit antibiotics.⁴

Some counterfeit drugs contain real antibiotics or antivirals but at a much lower dosage than listed on the product label. It's not enough to fully treat the disease, and it can give pathogens a chance to mutate and spread, which contributes to the growing public health threat of antimicrobial-resistant infections. Fake drugs might also contain medicines that appear where they aren’t supposed to be, which can lead to overdoses and deaths.

Counterfeit Drugs: A Global Problem 

For decades, fake drugs and their effects were mostly a problem in developing and low-income countries, where most people don't have access to prescription drugs, vaccines, and medical devices that are readily available in developed countries. This vacuum, along with loose regulations in some places, has created markets for counterfeiters. 

Now, thanks to the emergence of online pharmacies, countries around the world are struggling with fake drugs and their effects. To safeguard public health and welfare, the Pharmaceutical Services Division of the Ministry of Health Malaysia faces significant challenges in regulating the online sale of pharmaceutical products. This division is actively working to prevent the sale of pharmaceutical products that violate legal provisions in the digital space. The Pharmaceutical Services Division (PSD), through Pharmacy Enforcement, collaborates with the Communications and Multimedia Commission, the Royal Malaysian Police, and the Ministry of Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism to prevent the spread of this activity.⁵

Understanding Fake Drugs and Their Effects

Counterfeit drugs often look and taste like the medicines they're pretending to be, but they're simply not safe to take. And buying medications from anywhere other than a legitimate pharmacy could endanger one’s health.

Counterfeit drugs are now available anywhere in the world, presenting a growing threat to everyone. Public health officials, law enforcement agencies, and pharmaceutical companies are working hard to minimize that threat, but it's important for the public to understand the risk of buying and consuming fake medicines. After all, knowledge is power.