China
Africa
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PHP Instructor Materials: Protecting Your PHP in a Buyer-Beware Market
Published in Rebecca Mendoza Saltiel Busch, Patient’s Healthcare Portfolio, 2017
Counterfeit and Adulterated Drugs: Perpetrators actually make counterfeit medications out of almost any substance that they can get their hands on. Some substances do not cause harm to patients but some, such as pesticides in powder form, can cause irreparable damage.
The international health regulations in practice: surveillance and a global community seeking health security
Published in David L. Blazes, Sheri H. Lewis, Disease Surveillance, 2016
David Brett-Major, Dennis Faix
He was speaking particularly of the underaddressed challenges of resistance in bacteria implicated in common infections. The report also touches on issues around gonococcal resistance as well as increasing drug resistance in malaria, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and tuberculosis (TB). Data was most available regarding Europe and the Americas. However, even in these relatively higher resourced regions, gaps exist. Potential root causes of these issues are not usual targets for indicator-based surveillance. Some of these causes are related to regulatory and counterfeit medication challenges, known to exist globally. In a regulatory and law enforcement cooperative project in Southeast Asia, up to one in three medications was out of acceptable range for active ingredient (Yong et al. 2015). This can result in pathogens being exposed to low levels of active ingredient, enough to promote resistance but not enough to clear the pathogen from a patient. This is a known challenge in high risk areas for emerging infection in Africa, as well (The Global Fund 2014). For now, indicators selected for surveillance programs focus on the existence of a disease and do not incorporate those related to risk, such as level of counterfeit drug in a region. They target the existence of an issue, not the prediction of an issue developing. This may be a growth area for indicator-based surveillance. A better focus on risk would facilitate improved prevention and mitigation measures regardless of the hazard of concern.
Testosterone and aging male, a perspective from a developing country
Published in The Aging Male, 2023
Bac Nguyen Hoai, Long Hoang, Thang Nguyen Cao, Quan Pham Minh, Emmanuele A. Jannini
In Asia, although there is significant cultural variation across the region, there are some common values to be expected in men. Traditionally, masculine characteristics are expected to be strong, unemotional and authoritative. This fact was further supported in a large multinational survey in Asia which demonstrated that Asian men associate masculinity with having a good job, being in control of their own life and being a man of honor [195]. Particularly, if testosterone deficiency is associated with sexual dysfunction, discussing this matter is considered a culturally sensitive topic [196]. Therefore, men often refrain from seeking medical attention to withholding their image and their pride. Instead, they seek alternative methods of self-medication such as medicinal liquor, herbs and supplements [197]. This might also expose users to the risk of buying counterfeit medications, which not only have reduced efficacy compared to legit treatments but also pose a significant threat to general health [198]. The risk of contamination with bacteria or other active ingredients has been documented many times in the last years [199,200]. Unsurprisingly, for the same cultural reasons presented above, drugs affecting sexual performance and physical appearance are among the world’s most counterfeited products [198].
All the players in the game: driving home the global commitment for legitimate drugs
Published in Drug Development and Industrial Pharmacy, 2018
To understand the problem, concepts must first be clear. Definitions on counterfeit drugs vary among agencies. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) refers to counterfeit drugs as those sold under a product name without authorization [5]. In contrast, Pfizer describes counterfeit medications as those deliberately produced and/or mislabeled with respect to source and identity to make it appear genuine [4]. To more accurately distinguish between those manufactured under poor quality and those intentionally distributed under false circumstances or false composition, some agencies have moved away from the term “counterfeit” in favor of the terms “substandard” and “falsified” drugs [1]. Reading and interpreting these various perspectives can confuse and derail from the actual issue.