Impact of poor-quality medicines in the 'developing' world

Trends Pharmacol Sci. 2010 Mar;31(3):99-101. doi: 10.1016/j.tips.2009.11.005. Epub 2010 Feb 1.

Abstract

Since our ancestors began trading several millennia ago, counterfeit and substandard medicines have been a recurring problem, with history punctuated by crises in the supply of anti-microbials, such as fake cinchona bark in the 1600s and fake quinine in the 1800s. Unfortunately this problem persists, in particular afflicting unsuspecting patients in 'developing' countries. Poor-quality drugs are a vital (but neglected) public health problem. They contribute to a 'crevasse' between the enormous effort in therapeutic research and policy decisions and implementation of good-quality medicines.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Consumer Product Safety
  • Delivery of Health Care / legislation & jurisprudence
  • Delivery of Health Care / standards*
  • Developing Countries*
  • Drug Contamination / legislation & jurisprudence
  • Drug Contamination / prevention & control*
  • Drug Industry / legislation & jurisprudence
  • Drug Industry / standards*
  • Pharmaceutical Preparations / standards*
  • Public Health / standards
  • Quality Control

Substances

  • Pharmaceutical Preparations