The Analysis of fake and Smuggled Medicine during 88-89 in the Province of East Azar Baijan

Using trade marks for medical products without the issuance of license from the main manufacturer is considered fraud and the medicine manufactured this way will be considered to be fake. Any medicine distributed for treatment and health purposes without acquiring a license is considered to be smuggled drugs. According to the statistics of World Health Organization (WHO) it is estimated that between 7-10 percent of all the existing drugs in the world is fake. However, this figure reaches up to even 90% in poorer and developing countries. The smuggling of drugs is the most frightening kind of smuggling in the world after illegal drugs and weapons because people’s lives are faced with a serious danger. The threat of losing lives when patients use fake drugs is worse than the economic losses. Based on the studies conducted in the city of Tabriz, the amount of fake drugs confiscated by the inspectors of drugs and food items is only 8.7% of the monetary value based on rail while this amount could be up to three times more. The reason is the fact that this phenomenon is hidden and there are some limitation in the discovery of the fake drugs. The share of fake drugs among discovered fake items such as cosmetics and health and medical consumption items was 93.88%. Among smuggled and fake drugs, 30.93% are related to vitamins and strengthening drugs, 24.56% related to drugs for losing or gaining fat, 15.56% related to narcotic drugs and 29.5% related to other types of drugs. Since 3 groups of reported drugs at the top of the pyramid are consumed widely and most often without the prescription of a physician, it is necessary to have a special look at this issue.The users of fake drugs, in addition to facing financial losses, they are also in danger of having severe poisoning as a result of the fake drugs side effects, losing the opportunity and the possibility of getting real treatment and being in possession of drugs that are ineffective. Public awareness, adoption of the methods retracing the purity of drugs and the implementation of legal control and supervision to combat this inhumane phenomenon are vital.