Photo/FILE Between 25 per cent and 50 per cent of the drugs in developing countries including Kenya are counterfeit.

Many contraceptives and lifestyle disease drugs on sale are counterfeits.
According to government officials, anti-hypertension and anti-diabetes medicines are some of the most counterfeited in the Kenyan market.
The deputy director, Inspectorate and Surveillance at the Kenya Pharmacy and Poisons Board Dr James Owuor said increased counterfeit drugs in the market put many people’s health in danger.
“Counterfeiters have found an easy market for their fake products in the unsuspecting consumers,” said Dr Owuor.
Dr Owuor said most of the drugs counterfeited either did not have active ingredients, had incorrect quantities of active ingredients or contained wrong ingredients.
“Some of the drugs have high levels of impurities and contaminants,” he said.
The board has found that about 10 per cent of the drugs in the market were counterfeited. Additionally, 30 per cent of the medicine sold in the market were not registered.
Head of outreach services section at the World Intellectual Property Organisation Mr Omar Katbi said 10 per cent of all drugs in the world was also counterfeit.
Developing countries
Between 25 per cent and 50 per cent of the drugs in developing countries including Kenya were counterfeited, he said.
“This poses a great danger to consumers who are unaware of the medicines they are using and effects they have on them.
Mr Katbi said thousands of people had died in the world from using counterfeit products which were either poisonous or did not treat the disease as expected.
The availability of the counterfeits in the market raises questions over the performance of the Anti Counterfeit Agency whose work it is to ensure only genuine products are in the market.
Critics have blamed the agency on grounds it is not living up to its mandate.
Agency director Stephen Mallowah admitted that the situation was not good given the dangers fake products posed on users.