Counterfeit Drugs : Problems and Solutions for the Indian Pharmaceutical Industry

Critics have pointed a finger at the unethical use of intellectual property in the pharmaceutical industry claiming it is being used to set prices far above what those in third world countries can afford. Given that a good number of the raw material came from these regions, it is unethical to use intellectual property

4. Emphasizing the product quality The durability of the company could last long. It gives the company to have a durability image to the customers. Customers would likely be satisfied and the company could

Initially, from 2000 to 2001 the amount of money that was spent on prescription drugs had risen by nearly 20 percent as the cost of medication also rose. Lawmakers looked at different strategies such as including the drugs in medicare or having them be sold over the counter as insurers and consumers struggled to pay (Steinhauer). This substantial increase in drug cost did not go unnoticed. As the rising costs of drugs were passed onto insurers, they looked for solutions. One large California health insurer, Wellpoint Health Networks, saw a solution in having more drugs sold without prescriptions. The California insurer argued that top allergy drugs should be made more widely available and cheaper, and selling Claritin, Allegra, and Zyrtec, three top allergy drugs, over the counter would accomplish both of those things (Petersen “A Push to Sell”). Manufacturers argued against them, saying that such a move would be dangerous to the consumer, forcing them to diagnose themselves rather than have a professional do it for them. Some news in pharmaceuticals, however, had to do with criminal activities. The United States Food and Drug Administration investigated multiple cases of counterfeit drugs. In each of the three cases, the drugs were extremely expensive, one used by AIDS patients, another a growth hormone for people who cannot produce enough

The earliest human records attest to the fact that human beings have been using addictive narcotics since we were hunter-gatherers. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, physicians prescribed drugs like opium, morphine, cocaine and even heroin in the United States. (Crocq 355) Currently, these substances are either highly regulated or they are outright illegal. The irony here is that the the largest pharmaceutical companies or Big Pharma as they are better known, are selling the general public narcotics that are just as addictive and harmful as what the many gangs in the United States are selling to their customer base. The last statement may sound extreme, however, the third leading cause of death after heart disease and cancer are prescription drugs both in the United States and in Europe. (Gotzche 628) Unfortunately, these pharmaceutical companies are not satisfied with just making us addicts, they are also bankrupting the American consumer and our health care system. The statistics of deaths and the criminal practices of these pharmaceutical companies are distressing, however, it is not surprising since their main objective is to maximize profits. First, let us take a look at some of the offenders.

In that light, Jena et al. (2011) embark on a study to investigate the procurement of prescription drugs via the internet. The justification of their study lies on the fact that despite widespread awareness of the issue among law enforcement agencies, the media and federal regulators, physicians have low levels of awareness on the issue. Therefore, the journal article gives internalizes the issue, citing problems facing the relevant authorities in fighting the vice as well as proposing strategies that allow physicians to deal with this issue of abuse. As a healthcare related article, it is a valuable source of literature in expounding the matter at

A Customized Textbook, Supply Chain Management SCHM2301, ISBN9781308037400 Copies are on reserve in the library

Proposal: Prescription drug prices are astronomically high due in part because of counterfeit drugs and because of the cost to keep them out of the country. It is not only unfortunate that it takes on average 17-18 years for a drug patent to expire, before a generic more affordable drug can substitute the brand name medications, but lives depend on getting the right affordable prescription drugs daily. Combine that with counterfeit drugs and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have a very large and expensive problem on its hands. Can they provide safe and effective medicines to all individuals and what will that cost? As FDA, former commissioner Mark McClellan states “we are facing a global crisis” concerning providing

In the eighteen hundred too much unsafe chemical are used to process consumer’s food and drugs in America 1. Thousands of so-called "patent" medicines to cure all kind of sickness with no scientific prove. 2. The United States was the world's dumping ground for counterfeit, contaminated, diluted, and decomposed drug materials. 3.

ranged from 7.5% to 11.1% in East Asia, 6% to 13.7% in South Asia, and 9% to

Drug counterfeiting is a critical issue confronting the global pharmaceutical industry, health providers, patients, and governments worldwide. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a counterfeit medicine is one that is "deliberately and fraudulently mislabeled with respect to identity and/or source. Counterfeiting can apply to both branded and generic products and counterfeit medicines may include products with the correct ingredients but fake packaging, with the wrong ingredients, without active ingredients or with insufficient active ingredients."(Enyinda and Szmerekovsky, 2008; Qu, 2010).

In 1970 the government passed two new regulations that has effect on the pharmaceutical industry. “The India Patent Act prohibited

From the beginning of time we have these pre-conceived notions that doctors are a secure haven. The relation between the drugs and the dealer greatly resemble the relation between pharmaceuticals and physicians. Society views the doctors as the problem, but if you dig deeper, you’ll notice that it relies on the pharmaceutical industries. The FDA approves these drugs that could benefit you in one aspect, but it can also wreak havoc on the potential consumers. Although, pharmaceutical drugs aren’t always defective, they allow the pain to subside, even if the relief is temporary. The drugs that are prescribed are not curing disease, but merely concealing the symptoms.

We respect our customers and hence we struggle to only offer quality products. All the products that we sell are going through a rigorous inspection that is conducted by our suppliers, prior to being introduced for sale on the market.

Industry Structure: While medicine itself dates to prehistoric times, it was usually homemade remedies mixed up with the hopes it would cure whatever ailment or illness someone was experiencing. No set formulas were documented and there was no way to produce or distribute the medicine in large volumes. The history of the pharmaceutical industry doesn’t actually begin until a small shop in Darmstadt, Germany began selling their products wholesale in the 1840’s. [10] In 1859, the world’s first factory for producing only medicine was opened by Beecham. [11]

Counterfeit drugs pose public health and safety concerns because they “may closely resemble legitimate drugs yet may contain only inactive ingredients, incorrect ingredients, improper dosages, sub-potent or super-potent ingredients, or be contaminated” (9)