Substandard and falsified medical products increased by 47% during the COVID-19 pandemic: report | The Weather Channel – Articles from The Weather Channel
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(IANS)
Although the threat of substandard and falsified (SF) medical products is not new in India, such incidents have seen a significant increase during the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing by 47% from 2020 to 2021, according to a report.
The Authentication Solution Providers Association (ASPA) report examined the major counterfeiting incidents during the COVID-19 period and its impact on the country.
The association noted that the incidents were mostly related to COVID-related medical products, including vaccines, drugs, COVID test kits, antibiotics, face masks and disinfectants. During the peak of COVID, medical incidents of SF were seen in 23 of India’s 29 states and seven union territories, according to the report.
Also globally, incidents of pharmaceutical FS have increased by 111% over the past ten years, derailing global efforts to fight deadly diseases and achieve the mandated ‘right to health’ sustainability goal. by the UN.
“Criminals have seen the pandemic crisis as an opportunity to sell more and more substandard and falsified medical products, taking advantage of the vulnerability of people in need. The huge negative impact of the huge increase in circulation counterfeit drugs and essential medical products on the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic has gone almost unnoticed,” Nakul Pasricha, president of the Association of Authentication Solution Providers (ASPA), said in a statement.
“It is unfortunate that criminals produce ineffective or harmful products in packages that appear identical to genuine products to make them difficult to detect. The circulation and use of these SF medical products violates the right to health and slows down the pace the provision of quality health services that people deserve,” Pasricha added. He also called for “urgent action to stem this threat.”
Despite the guidelines, the circulation of SF medical products has been an under/under-treated problem.
The report also welcomes the government’s recent decision to make QR codes mandatory on active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) – the main raw materials used in the manufacture of drugs, capsules, tablets, syrups, etc.
Enforcing the API Mandate is the right place to start, but the report suggests a holistic approach to building an authentication ecosystem in the country.
National authentication and traceability projects have been in vogue internationally for a few years, with China, Brazil, Turkey, the United States and the EU being the pioneers in this field. It has helped these countries reduce the parallel market in various industries, improve tax collection, and significantly reduce business losses from counterfeit goods and illegal trade.
The report suggests India to implement these measures in other sectors to join the league of advanced digital economies.
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