PSAs Warn Cambodians of Counterfeit Drug Dangers

Earlier this month, a public health campaign was launched in Cambodia to help raise awareness and combat the rising threat of counterfeit drugs throughout Southeast Asia. The campaign, launched by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) Convention with the support of Cambodian authorities, includes a nationally broadcasted public service announcement (PSA) series titled “Pharmacide.”

Earlier this month,a public health campaign was launched in Cambodia to help raise awareness and combat the rising threat of counterfeit drugs throughout Southeast Asia. The campaign, launched by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) Convention with the support of Cambodian authorities, includes a nationally broadcasted public service announcement (PSA) series titled “Pharmacide.”

From manufacturing to distribution, the PSAs take the viewer though the production of counterfeit drug and are airing in an area where an estimated 10 to 30 percent of all medicines are contraband or counterfeit drugs, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).  Such drugs include those to treat HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis and other life-threatening conditions.

The prevalence of counterfeit drugs in Cambodia is due in part to strained economic conditions and is indicative of what many citizens of developing countries face.  Counterfeit drugs can be an attractive option for low-income patients because they are normally sold for less than authentic medicines.

Officials hope that as citizens are made aware of the potentially life-threatening consequences of buying medicines from unlicensed vendors, they’ll refrain from making future drug purchases in this dangerous arena.

The Partnership for Safe Medicines (PSM) has a variety for resources to help patients protect themselves from contraband and counterfeit drugs—such as the S.A.F.E. D.R.U.G: An 8-Step Checklist for Medicine Safety—which can be accessed in five languages, including Tagalog, Vietnamese and Chinese. For free access to PSM resources and information on the threat of contraband and counterfeit drugs, visit www.safemedicines.org.