Counterfeit medications are unsafe and a treat to people around the world. The use of the medications can cause harm to both the body and society. It is important that the consumers are educated about counterfeit mediations. Most people who purchase counterfeit medication may not understand that laws are being broken. Drugs are unlawfully and consciously being made to resemble the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) approved drug. Sellers are infringing on the companies Intellectual Property (IP), as medications are protected in law by copyright, patents, and trademarks. Copyrights are protecting the pharmaceutical copay ownership of the product, whereas the counterfeit drug suppliers are claiming the medication as the original. Fake medications are being stamped with the same logo Drug patents last 20 years and once the patent expires the owner has the authority to decide how others can use the product. The counterfeit drug supplies do not have the right to copy the makeup and design of the legitimate drug. There are many fake drugs that are slightly identical to the original. Visually the consumer may not be able to tell the difference, the drugs are the same color, shape, and include the unique logo of the pharmaceutical company. Due to the misappropriation consumers are lead to believe they are receiving the same product.
“A United Nations report lists phony medicines as the "greatest concern" when it comes to counterfeit goods (Counterfeit goods
…show more content…
Most people are not enlightened regarding the difference between the imitation and the generic form of the medication. Counterfeit drugs are roughly being sold at half the price of the medication if purchased at retail. In America there are many people without insurance or who cannot afford the insurance mediation copays. The profits of these drugs have been linked to the funding of criminal
With access to prescription drugs, people are able to treat a multitude of diseases and illnesses. These drugs help deal with pain, inability to sleep, depression, and much more. Every day we are increasingly living in a world where there is better living through chemicals. However, what most do not seem to see is the rising tide of pain, illness, and ultimately death being caused by the pills people take every day. Most keep drugs in a special place in their minds, where they see them as harmless. Sadly, this is not the case, and in some cases our prescription drugs can be just as harmful as illegal drugs (King 68).
The prices of prescription drugs in the United States are by far the highest in the world. [1] On average, Europeans pay 40% less than Americans for the same medications. [2] Consumers have been resorting to several ways, sometimes putting themselves in harm’s way, to alleviate the burden of high prescription drug costs. Some buy their medications online or cross the borders to neighboring countries so they would be able to afford buying their needed medications. Others have resorted to the illegal act of selling their unused medications in online forums just to recover part of their expenses. Many factors contribute to the increased drug prices in the United States including research and
Gray market refers to a group of unauthorized vendors who stockpile drugs that are in short supply. These unscrupulous dealers, ultimately sell much needed drugs to hospitals at exorbitant prices (Stencel, 2014, p. 3; Dill & Ahn, 2014, p. 280). Given the illegal nature of the gray market, it is highly risky to obtain drugs from these sources. Examples of concerns are issues related to quality and proper labeling. Gray market, is a major reason it is imperative the drug shortage issue is
The twenty-first century has seen pharmaceutical companies grow in unprecedented size and strength. Due to the unprecedented growth the larger pharmaceutical companies have gained leverage and power in the prescription drug industry, but they lack innovation to market and they seek ways to help the business continue to increase its profits. The pharmaceutical industry was once ethically sound and was a valuable player in the development of human health. However, overtime with the lack of innovation pharmaceutical companies are becoming an unethical market that exploits patients, doctors and anyone else it can to increase its profitability. With eyes only on profitability this can create a hazard for patients because there
The item is unlawful medications. The individuals who bargain these medications are Culprits. That is the thing that makes the medication business diverse then whatever other. Alcohol is a medication, yet grown-ups are permitted to utilize liquor items. Nicotine is a medication, yet grown-ups are permitted to utilize a wide range of structures of tobacco items, all which have tobacco in them. The drug Caffeine can be found in numerous ordinary things, similar to pop confection bars. Consider what number of cops we would require if caffeine items were illicit.
Annually, the US spends $300 billion dollars on pharmaceutical drugs. This is due to the over-diagnosing of certain conditions. Everyday, Americans are exposed to an enormous amount of advertisements for medications of all kinds. For example, 1 in 10 Americans are taking
instead of returning them to the pharmacy they leave them in their medicine cabinet. people can get addicted to the drugs and take more than they should. or they sell them to a friend or buddy.
A new escalating drug abuse epidemic has come about in the recent years; people are now choosing prescription pills as their new drug of choice. The use, abuse and death caused by prescription drugs has increased significantly within the past couple years. All types of prescription pills are more easily accessible from their doctors, family members or off the street. Doctors are handing out prescriptions for pills, such as pain management pills, muscle relaxers, and anti-anxiety, like they are candy and not potentially dangerous to the consumers. In today’s society doctors are over prescribing pills to Americans and the prescription pill distribution should be more closely monitored and controlled. Although there are people who benefit
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
U. S. citizens pay the highest prescription drug prices in the world. This is an injustice that must be corrected. The "U.S. forbids the import of prescription drugs by anyone other than the original U.S. manufacturer, and even then only when the drugs meet all the approval requirements of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)" (Barlett & Steele, 2004). Prescription drug prices are outrageously high in the United States because of the influence of advertising on consumer purchasing, the misleading statements by pharmaceutical companies about the cost of research and development of new drugs, the manipulation of patent laws, the antiquated laws regarding importation of
Historically speaking, according to Narconon (2015), the issue of prescription drug abuse began in the 1800’s when consumers could self-prescribe medications such as cocaine and morphine. In the 1900’s, the Pure Food and Drug and Harrison Narcotic Tax acts were put into place as measures to control the sale and distribution of these substances (Narconon International, 2015). Today, the prescription drug problem continues to be a growing issue that has many consequences in our society.
People all over the world, continue to be tendered prescription medication, which in many cases further complicate health issues with its myriad of side effects. In fact, statistics have shown that approximately 100,000 people around the world die as a result of prescription drugs annually (Smith, 2012). On the contrary, according
In the business of drug production over the years, there have been astronomical gains in the technology of pharmaceutical drugs. More and more drugs are being made for diseases and viruses each day, and there are many more drugs still undergoing research and testing. These "miracle" drugs are expensive, however, and many Americans cannot afford these prices.
There are many direct to consumer advertising for prescription drugs. On television, magazines, radio etc, you see the most recent advertisements for prescription drugs. After some people see the advertisements they soon rush over to their doctor and their illness and life would be perfectly pain and stress free. Making the public conscious of options for treatment is not a bad thing. But these false advertisements are misleading consumers onto unnecessary treatment.
Remember that time you really wanted to buy a Louis Viton bag? Then the thought of spending thousands on it held you back? So instead you bought a knock off, and saved yourself a boat load of money. No harm done right? Well not exactly, of course your wearing your new bag out with your friends didn’t make a difference verse the real one. You felt a little spoiled and your friends loved it too. However, what if it wasn’t just a purse that you bought as a counterfeit, let’s say for example, it was a knockoff Tylenol or birth control. Think it would be harmful then? You may be surprised to know that this actually happens all the time, and the production and sales of counterfeit drugs is more common than you think. This essay will explain why the production and sale of counterfeit pharmaceutical drugs is wrong.