Protect yourself against counterfeit or
fake medicines

What are the risks of counterfeit or fake products?

• Counterfeit or fake products are never safe to use. If you purchase them, you will have no way of knowing what ingredients they actually contain.
• If you take counterfeit or fake medicine, you are rolling the dice with your health. The product may not only fail to treat your condition—it could cause you serious harm.

How significant a problem is counterfeiting?

• The global trade in counterfeit and unapproved medicines is estimated to be worth between $65 billion and $200 billion each year.¹ These are products that have no safety controls, and may contain harmful contaminants or incorrect active ingredients.
• Illegal entities are engaging in phishing scams across the internet, phones and social media. Often, these scammers never deliver anything – they simply pocket your money. Many also steal personal and financial information and use it to commit identity theft later on. Those that do deliver a product don’t provide genuine, approved medicines. Instead, people receive fake or counterfeit products.

How do I know if my medicine is counterfeit or fake?

• Counterfeit or fake products are mainly promoted and sold via unauthorised online channels or via social media. It is important to obtain a prescription from your doctor and get your prescription medicine from a registered pharmacy or registered online pharmacy provider.
• Counterfeit or fake products may look very similar to genuine medicines. Knowing what genuine medicines look like can help you avoid purchasing or using counterfeit products.