Cambodian officials preparing crackdown on deadly fake medicines

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) - Health officials and police will begin
inspecting pharmacies throughout Cambodia early next month in a bid to
crack down on fake medicines - a scourge that has claimed dozens of
lives in the poor Southeast Asian nation.

"We need to have a permanent, routine inspection because fake medicines
have existed in Cambodia for a long time," said Chroeng Sokhan, deputy
director of the Health Ministry's food and drug department.

In 2001, an estimated 2,800 illegal medicine sellers operated in
Cambodia and 1,000 unregistered medicines were sold on the market,
according to the World Health Organization. At least 30 people died in
Cambodia in 1999 after taking counterfeit anti-malarial drugs.

The enforcement measures stem from a regulation issued by the Health
Ministry in March. Starting in October, pharmacists and suppliers will
be required to register their medicines with the ministry and to put a
stamp on the products, identifying the manufacturer.

The upcoming operation will be a strong measure to "get rid of the
fake, bad quality and expired medicines, so that we can assure after
October the number of fake medicines will go down and people's health
will be better from using (safe) medicines," Chroeng Sokhan said.

Medicines in Cambodia are sometimes sold in clear plastic bags without
information about the drug, such as its name, manufacturer, side
effects and suggested dosage. Often, a prescription isn't required for
medicines that typically aren't sold over the counter elsewhere.

Under the law, those who produce, smuggle or sell medicine that is fake
or expired face fines ranging from US$5,000 (4,100) to US$12,500
(10,400) and up to 10 years in prison.

Pharmacists in the Cambodian capital said Wednesday they supported the
government's initiative, but had concerns.

"The success will depend on the inspection officers," said Nhenh Sida,
who opened his pharmacy in 1989. "If they are not corrupt, if they
really work to get rid of fake medicine, it's good."

Touch Kong, 55, a man buying medicine at a Phnom Penh pharmacy, said he
doubted the crackdown would change the status quo.

"I don't trust the inspection officers ... because a lot of fake
medicine circulates in Cambodia and is sold everyday in the country,"
he said. "If the government wants to get all the fake medicine out of
circulation, (it) would have to crackdown on illegal smuggling from the
border."

Fake drugs are estimated to generate more than US$35 billion (29
billion) in worldwide sales a year, the WHO has said, and the problem
is most serious in developing countries.


09/28/05 02:23 EDT


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