How to Recognize Counterfeit Drugs

Sometimes difficult to detect counterfeit drugs because it is difficult to distinguish from the original version, let alone just the naked eye. In anticipation of being fooled, Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM) offers tips to recognize fake drugs.

Although not always successful, counterfeit drugs can be identified from several different physical characteristics of the original drug. Director of Monitoring and Therapeutics Products Distribution Health Household Supplies, Drs Roland Hutapea, MSc, Apt said, the characteristics in question are as follows.

1. Crumbly tablets

To obtain a larger profit, the makers of fake drugs will usually be to sacrifice quality. Tablets are fragile and easily destroyed are the traits of drug sub-standard quality, which means the drug is most likely false.

2. Different packaging

Any small differences found in drug packaging is suspect as counterfeit traits. Besides the color is too dark or too bright, sometimes written form and size can be different from the original.

3. Marking of suspicious

Other irregularities are often found in counterfeit packaging is labeled suspicious, such as the registration number wrong or no date of expiration. Sometimes, the expiry date or expiry date (ED) in counterfeit drugs is not printed but only taped.

But confirmed by Roland, who mentioned traits are not absolute. Drug counterfeiters are always trying to make the medicine appear as similar as possible to the original, even the first hologram is hard to duplicate now can be fabricated with very similar.

"The only way to make sure it has to go through a laboratory test. The test results are then matched with the original manufacturer, if the drug is made by the manufacturer in question," Roland said in a talk show about fake drugs on BPOM's Office.

Roland also offers tips for avoiding counterfeit drugs, among others, by giving drugs only in pharmacies or drug stores that are listed. Special drug goongan G (gevaarlijk) or hard drugs that the original must and can only be purchased by prescription in pharmacies, rather than at the drug store.safsdfs