Paraguay is Feeding Brazil with Cheap Counterfeit Drugs, Says Brazilian Anti-Counterfeit Body
An increasing number of Brazilians are acquiring medicines in neighbouring Paraguay where drugs are cheaper, reports newspaperGazeta do Povo. In 2007, the phenomenon led to a 68.9% year-on-year increase in drug seizures at the Brazilian-Paraguayan border. The seizures were estimated to be worth 298.6 Brazilian real ($189US.8 million). The most common drugs seized are erectile dysfunction and obesity medicines, steroids and abortion pills. The illegal importations are often counterfeits as 90% of counterfeited drugs present in Brazil make their way onto the domestic market through the Paraguayan border.
By Gaelle Marinoni
29 July 2008