Using poor quality drugs not only reduces the effectiveness of treatment but can also make the condition worse, even life-threatening. So how can you recognize poor quality drugs and choose safe drugs to protect your health? Follow the article below!
Find out what poor quality drugs are?
Poor quality drugs are products that do not meet the quality standards approved by competent state agencies. Some causes leading to poor quality drugs include:
- Poor storage conditions, such as mold;
- Unsafe and substandard transportation processes;
- Expired drugs, leading to no longer guaranteed treatment effectiveness.
When poor quality drugs are detected, the Drug Administration or the Department of Health will issue a notice to suspend circulation and recall the related batch of drugs. However, the process of recalling poor quality drugs depends on the manufacturing and distribution enterprises, while state management agencies only monitor and report to the Drug Administration, so there is still a risk that poor quality drugs are not completely recalled.
A worrying issue is that consumers in Vietnam do not have the habit of carefully checking the batch, number, production date and expiry date of drugs, while drugs are often suspended in batches. If poor quality drugs are on the recall list but are still sold on the market to recover capital, consumers may use these products without knowing it.
5 easiest ways to identify poor quality drugs
Choosing the right medicine not only helps protect your health but also ensures effective treatment. Below are 5 simple ways for you to easily identify poor quality drugs.
Packaging and packaging
Users can rely on the packaging and packaging of the product to identify poor quality drugs as follows:
Anti-counterfeit stamp: Check whether the anti-counterfeit stamp and sealing tape are intact or have been tampered with.
Design: Counterfeit drugs often have poor quality packaging with unusual fonts, letter sizes and printing colors or spelling errors.
Lot number: The lot number on counterfeit drugs is often blurred and difficult to read. In addition, the lot number, expiration date and manufacturer’s address may be different between the outer packaging and the drug inside.
Pill shape
Checking the shape of the pill is also a simple way to identify poor quality drugs, you need to note the following:
Powder in blister packs: Poor quality drugs are easily worn and broken during the production and transportation process.
Color: Counterfeit pills may have inconsistent colors, appear mottled or discolored due to poor quality.
Shape: The size and shape of counterfeit drugs may be uneven, different within a batch or compared to real drugs.
Authentication by scanning the code
The method of using SMS anti-counterfeit stamps, barcodes, QR codes to check information to identify poor quality drugs is also used by many people. However, this method has limitations when not all products support it and the barcode can be copied and pasted on fake products.
Product price
If the drug is much cheaper than the market price, it may be a fake or poor quality drug. Counterfeit drugs are often cheap due to non-standard production processes and poor quality input materials. However, this is not always true because the selling price may vary depending on the facility.
Drug effectiveness
You can compare the effectiveness of the newly purchased drug with the drug you used before. If this new drug does not work as expected or you experience side effects when taking the drug, you may have bought a fake or poor quality drug.
Poor quality and counterfeit drugs not only seriously affect health, but also damage the reputation of manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies. These drugs do not bring effective treatment, and may even contain harmful bacteria and molds, causing drug poisoning.
Especially for chronic diseases, the use of counterfeit or poor quality drugs can prevent patients from achieving their treatment goals and increase the risk of drug resistance, shortening life expectancy. Therefore, you need to be careful in choosing quality drugs to protect your health.
Patients should pay attention to choosing high-quality drugs
Patients need to pay attention to the following important points to choose high-quality drugs, avoid buying poor-quality drugs:
- Choose to buy from reputable pharmacies: Always buy drugs from reputable pharmacies or medical facilities, licensed to operate and have full certificates.
- Check packaging and labels: Drug packaging must be intact, not torn. Information on the label, including the date of manufacture, expiry date, manufacturer information, and batch number must be clear and complete.
- Verify product information: Use barcode scanning applications and QR codes to verify product information. Ensure that the anti-counterfeit stamp is intact and shows no signs of removal or tampering.
- Consult a doctor or pharmacist: Before using any medication, consult a doctor or pharmacist to ensure that the medication is suitable for your health condition and does not cause side effects.
- Check for reasonable prices: Beware of drugs that are unusually cheap compared to the market. The price may reflect the quality and production process of the drug.
The above notes will help patients choose quality drugs, ensuring safety and effectiveness in treatment.
Thus, I have just shared important information about recognizing poor quality drugs and notes to avoid buying these drugs. Hopefully this knowledge will help you choose safe and effective drugs, best protecting your health.
