Counterfeit Drugs Removed from Manilla Shelves

A test-buy conducted by Filipino National Bureau of Investigation agents determined counterfeit medicines were being mass distributed by a drug store chain throughout The Philippines.  

Agents conducted raids of Sincere Drug Store branches and its warehouse facility in Bacolod City in June, acting on complaints that counterfeits of medications produced by legitimate Filipino manufacturers had been discovered in the stores, reports the Visayan Daily Star.

Sincere Chain has responded to the allegations by threatening sue the NBI and Unilab, the drug manufacturing company that had been counterfeited, as well as local TV for publicizing the raids. 

Medicine confiscated from the stores were valued at P2 million and were examined in laboratory for authenticity by Unilab, and found to be counterfeit.  NBI may next send the counterfeit medication to the Bureau of Food and Drug Administration for further analysis, but the fake meds are currently being kept in a bonded warehouse.  

By S. Imber