Brazil's Counterfeit Medicine Problem Triples in 4 Years
'Natural medicine products'
in the Ver-o-Peso Marcket in Belém - Pará - Brazil
by de Paula FJ via Flickr.
Brazilian researchers for the Revista de Saude Publica have determined that counterfeit medicine seizures have tripled since 2007.
70 incidents were reported in Brazilian authorities in 2007, doubling in 2008 with 139, more than tripling by 2009 to 233, reports Securing Pharma. The majority of seziures took place in Parana, Santa Catarina and Sao Paulo, all of which are states in southeastern Brazil.
Using Federal Criminal Police reports, researchers discovered counterfeit cases involving erectile dysfunction (ED) medication, corticosteroids, prostaglandin products, cancer treatments and obesity drugs. Over the four year period, the frequency of ED medication seizures dropped, while other medications because more commonly found by investigators, reports Securing Pharma. The authors suggest that the counterfeit ED market has become saturated and that more vital life-saving medications may be more profitable to counterfeiters.
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