Presence of counterfeit miedicines in Peru 2015-2019: socioeconomic and public health consequences

Abstract

Objective. To determine the amount of counterfeit drugs admitted to the National Center for Quality Control of the National Institute of Health during the period 2015-2019 and the socioeconomic and public health consequences in our society. Methods. The analysis of the information collected corresponds to counterfeit medicines. This information was processed in a structured spreadsheet with the necessary parameters. Results. Counterfeit medicines in relation to the total medicines analyzed were: 5.7; 7.2; 4.9; 17.0 and 13.3% in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 respectively. Of 547 counterfeit medicines, according to the ATC Classification, the following therapeutic subgroups stand out: anti-inflammatory and antirheumatic products (22.1%) and antibacterials for systemic use (16.5%). The predominant form of counterfeiting was medicines without an active ingredient (38.6%), followed by those with the correct dose of the active ingredient but from a manufacturer other than the one declared (36.9%). The predominantly counterfeit dosage forms were tablets (69.7%), injectables (8.2%), and capsules (6.8%). 43.7% of counterfeit medicines were of unknown origin. Conclusions. The presence of 8.5% of counterfeit medicines in our country is a problem that not only affects public health, but also causes considerable economic losses, US$177 million per year, and unemployment, 8,791 jobs per year. Metropolitan Lima with 71.7%, continues to be the main focus of the commercialization of counterfeit medicines; whose existence not only occurs in informal markets, but prevails in formal markets. The contribution of this study seeks to be able to develop multisectoral policies that allow stopping the commercialization of these products that represent a scourge in our country.