Expired, bogus drugs, a US$65.2M yearly business

Santo Domingo.- Smuggling and the marketingof bogus drugs in the country moves more than RD$30 billion (US$65.2) million yearly,and accounts for 12 percent of the total market, Pharmacies Association presidentRaul Hernandez reveled Sunday.

He said among the adulterations figure erasedexpiration dates on some drugs and replaced with a forged label. "Thereare fakes that are so good that confuse even the owners of pharmaciesthemselves."

Quoted by diariolibre.com.do, Hernandez.complainsthat despite that the authorities shutter many businesses where adulteratedmedicines are sold, "a week later are open."

Bogus pharmacies

Hernandez says as many as 5 percent of the4,500 pharmacies in the country operate illegally.

He said the Public Health Ministry has deniedthe license for many of those businesses to operate by, while others don’tevern bother to request one.