OUT OF STOCK A pharmacist arranges generic brands of paracetamol at a drugstore in Sampaloc, Manila. Several brands of paracetamol have run out of stock. —RICHARD A. REYES
MANILA, Philippines — Amid the high demand for paracetamol and other medicines for flu-like symptoms, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned the public and healthcare professionals against the proliferation of counterfeit over-the-counter drugs.
“All healthcare professionals and the general public are hereby warned as to the availability of these counterfeit drug products in the market, which pose potential danger or injury to consumers,” the FDA said.
It reminded consumers to purchase drug products only from FDA-licensed establishments.
The FDA noted that the counterfeit drugs have different features from the legitimate products.
It said the logos, security marks, knurlings, print colors and appearances of authentic products are different from the counterfeit ones. It posted on its website photos comparing authentic from counterfeit drug products.
Most counterfeited
According to the FDA, among the products that have counterfeit versions include Paracetamol (Biogesic) 500 milligram tablet; Phenylpropanolamine HCl/Chlorphenamine Maleate Paracetamol (Decolgen Forte) 25 mg/2 mg/500 mg tablet; Carbocisteine (Solmux) 500 mg capsule; and Dextromethorphan HBr/Phenylpropanolamine HCl/Paracetamol (Tuseran Forte) 15 mg/25 mg/325 mg capsule.
Also in the FDA list of verified counterfeit products are Phenylephrine HCl/Chlorphenamine Maleate/Paracetamol (Neozep Forte) 10 mg/2 mg/500 mg tablet; Ibuprofen/Paracetamol (Alaxan FR) 200 mg/325 mg capsule; Mefenamic Acid (Gardan) 500 mg tablet; and Phenylephrine HCl/Chlorphenamine Maleate/Paracetamol (Bioflu) 10 mg/2 mg/500 mg tablet.
The FDA also urged the public to always check if a product is registered with the agency by using the FDA Verification Portal feature accessible at https://verification.fda.gov.ph.
The regulatory agency also warned all establishments and drug outlets against selling and/or dispensing of the counterfeit products.
Selling of fake penalized
“The importation, selling, or offering for sale of such is in direct violation of the Food and Drug Administration Act of 2009, and the Special Law on Counterfeit Drugs. Anyone found selling the said counterfeit drug products will be penalized,” the FDA said.
The agency also appealed to all local governments and law enforcement agencies to adequately monitor the presence of counterfeit drugs in their areas.
“[They] are requested to ensure that these products are not sold or made available in their localities or areas of jurisdiction,” it added.