Teva CFS Book English

40 Danger - drug counterfeiting Counterfeiting or imitating products is not a new phenomenon. We all know the counterfeit industry for software, clothing, disks, etc. But there is a fundamental difference with the drug counterfeiting industry, and that is the danger to the health of the person taking the drug. Counterfeit drugs often contain poisonous substances, stimulants, and heavy metals. Virtually none of them contain the active ingredient that is supposed to be in an active drug, or the concentration of this ingredient is smaller or greater than the correct dose - which significantly harms the efficacy of the treatment and the medical process. The counterfeit phenomenon also significantly impacts the drug companies, especially during the patent stage, which is meant to protect their revenues after a significant financial investment in the drug’s research and development. Furthermore, as a result of the counterfeits, the drug company's reputation may be harmed, and questions arise regarding the drug’s efficacy, since the patients are often not even aware of the fact that they are taking fake medication. These patients may lose their faith in the drug company, and there is even the susceptibility to lawsuits against it. The medicine for counterfeits A large number of countries have committed themselves to combating drug counterfeiting, first and foremost to protect the health of the patients, but also to protect the companies’ reputations. This is by implementing an innovative technology that enables each sold unit of the drug (box or bottle) to be marked with a unique number that is verified when the drug is dispensed to the patient at the pharmacy. Serialization A new generation of combating counterfeits Assessments say that every year around 10,000 people die on the African continent alone from using counterfeit drugs. In 2011, Teva joined the war on drug counterfeiting using serialization - an innovative and legally required technology that enables every unit of medication to be marked with a unique number that is verified during dispensation. The counterfeit phenomenon significantly affects the drug companies as well, especially during the patent stage, which is meant to protect their revenues after a significant financial investment in the drug’s research and development. Furthermore, as a result of the counterfeits, the drug company's reputation may be harmed, and questions arise regarding the drug’s efficacy.