Network marketing fake drugs unearthed

ISLAMABAD: In a major crackdown, health authorities in Karachi have uncovered a disturbing network marketing fake and substandard medicines under the guise of fictitious pharmaceutical companies. These companies were neither registered with the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) nor did their products contain active pharmaceutical ingredients (API).

Upon confiscation and rigorous testing at the Sindh Provincial Drug Testing Laboratory, it was revealed that several drugs either lacked API entirely or contained negligible amounts, making them hazardous for patients. Alarmingly, these counterfeit products included life-saving medications such as antibiotics and vaccines.

Officials and health experts claim that the “de-regulation of non-essential medicine prices” has led to a steep rise in drug costs, forcing patients to turn to “cheaper, lesser-known brands” and creating an opportunity for criminal networks to flood the market with counterfeit medicines.

Adnan Rizvi, Chief of the Drug Testing Laboratory (DTL) in Sindh, highlighted the gravity of the situation, stating that they had tested numerous medicines from manufacturers whose names were unfamiliar to provincial drug inspectors.

“When we tested several drugs at DTL, we found them to be spurious and unregistered. It is alarming that the manufacturers of these drugs are fictitious and do not exist. Immediate action is required to address this critical issue,” said Rizvi, who has previously served as the chief drug inspector of Sindh. According to Rizvi, authorities have so far identified seven fictitious pharmaceutical companies in Lahore, Karachi and Kasur and Peshawar.

“These pharmaceutical companies do not exist, nor are their brands registered with DRAP. This is the first time we are witnessing fake brands from non-existent companies being marketed. These medicines are substandard and hazardous to patients,” he added.

Rizvi also questioned how these spurious drugs were being marketed and prescribed by doctors, given that the companies do not exist and their names would be unfamiliar to physicians. “In my opinion, this is a massive scandal. Health authorities in all provinces and federal territories must launch a nationwide crackdown against the criminals behind this scam, as they are playing with people’s lives,” he warned.

Officials in Islamabad confirmed they had previously seized counterfeit and substandard medicines, including copies of registered brands. However, they admitted that the discovery of fictitious pharmaceutical companies marketing fake drugs was unprecedented. “In Islamabad, we have not encountered any locally produced medicine from a non-existent company. This is a serious scam that requires a thorough investigation to identify those responsible,” said Sardar Shabbir Ahmed, Secretary of the Quality Control Board at the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Health Department.

But the DRAP officials in the capital acknowledged awareness of such scams. They revealed that several cases were already under process against individuals caught selling and marketing spurious drugs from fictitious companies in Sindh. “Last year, federal drug inspectors confiscated several medicines in Karachi that were produced by non-existent companies. Criminal cases were lodged against those involved,” a senior DRAP official told The News.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the sale of fake medicines was a long-standing issue, particularly in rural areas of Sindh, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces, where people are often unaware of genuine pharmaceutical brands.

The DRAP official claimed that quacks were playing a major role in prescribing and promoting such counterfeit drugs. “Unfortunately, conflicts of interest in prescribing medicines have become a serious issue for patient safety and rights. Many quacks, and even some qualified practitioners, prescribe medicines that are not only ineffective but also hazardous to health,” he noted. He assured that drug inspectors, in collaboration with provincial health authorities, were actively collecting samples to determine whether counterfeit medicines were being supplied in the market.

“It is also the responsibility of law enforcement agencies to take action against fake medicine production units. Unfortunately, the role of the police and the Federal Investigation Agency in this regard has been disappointing. If these agencies work honestly alongside drug inspectors, we can eliminate these criminal elements from our society,” he added.

Health experts warn that counterfeit medicines have long plagued Pakistan, posing severe health risks. Hundreds of people die annually after consuming fake and substandard drugs. The illicit trade of counterfeit medicines has evolved into a thriving industry, inflicting immense suffering as patients unknowingly consume fraudulent pharmaceuticals. They revealed that all 15 samples of life-saving drugs confiscated during recent raids in Karachi and Hyderabad were found to be spurious. Some counterfeit antibiotics contained substances like calcium carbonate (chalk) instead of the active pharmaceutical ingredient, while others had raw materials of inferior quality.