Pharmaceuticals are one of the most popular targets for counterfeiting. And the ones that carry the most dangerous side-effects
SAMPLE BRANDS
Counterfeited Drugs Carry the Most Dangerous Side Effect
High sales price and constant increase in demand make drugs in general and popular pharma products such as Viagra a popular counterfeiting target.few data points from recent reserach:
Online stores are the easiest way for counterfeiters to distribute such drugs, taking advantage of innocent users
India is one of the production centers of such drugs, htting African countries most with low-cost fake alternatives
OTC (Over the Counter) products, especially age-defying products and similar high-value products are constantly targeted by counterfeiters
The damaging effect of these products ends many times irreversible and can even end in death
The Pharma industry is now headed towards standardised serialisation based on simple QR marks, starting with Europe, 2019. However, online stores can easily fake these marks and will require more sophisticated methods such as BrandGuard’s Cloud-based QR verification
Sample Cases
03March2019
Fake Xanax “easily” bought on Facebook in UK
Counterfeit Xanax that contains a drug called etizolam and is responsible for an epidemic of deaths in Scotland can be bought quickly and easily through sites like Facebook, according to BBC report.
US study casts spotlight on illegal online pharmacies
A study has found a sizeable drop since last year - from 581 to 365 - in the number of online pharmacies willing to supply US residents with prescription drugs without a proper physician's endorsement.