Substandard drugs present threats

Editorial

THOSE in the medical profession have and will always be quick to alert the public against the use of alternative or traditional herbal remedies which have never been scientifically tested for their usefulness.
Understandably, science will only encourage the use of that which has been scientifically proven and tested.
By and large, traditional or alternative medicines used in the country are home-made with the use of very basic apparatus.
The packaging is not flash and the conditions under which they have been concocted are not known and open to conjecture.
The producers and promoters depend heavily on the testimonies of those who claim to have been healed by them.
People have been told to be wary of untested alternative remedies, however effective people claim them to be. They certainly lack the level of integrity present in modern western medicine, some of which
have been around for a long time and have won people’s confidence.
Take, for example, the case of the popularly used antibiotic Amoxicillin.
Whether it is bought with a prescription at a certified drug store or from the street seller, it is still Amoxicillin and to many that means that it will work, never mind the fine print.
That is the danger and risk alluded to illegal pharmaceutical activities.
These activities are carried out in the country by both illegally and legally registered companies.
These criminal activities include wrong labelling of drugs and counterfeit and substandard medicines.
Pharmaceutical crime poses a grave danger to public health.
Falsifying medicines undermine people’s faith in the healthcare system, while threatening the lives of the most vulnerable members of society.
The easy access to drugs openly sold on shops shelves or streets is easier and more convenient that spending hours in long queues at public health facilities.
The situation creates just the right environment for the proliferation of illegal, counterfeit pharmaceutical products and falsifying of brands.
Where traditional cures have been found to be effective, these should be vigorously promoted throughout the country so people do not resort to products that are illegally produced and falsely packaged and subject them to grave health risks.
The existence of sub-standard drugs and warnings against the use of untested alternative traditional medicine really leaves the suffering public in a dilemma.
Where does the average suffering Papua New Guinean go with his or her health complaint?
The long lines alone at hospitals and health centres are intimidating enough and, besides, one may only end up with a prescription to take to the pharmacy.
Does one go by the testimonies of others on herbal treatments? Do they buy the cheap drugs without prescriptions? Are even those prescription drugs on shop shelves really what they are supposed to be in chemical composition and weight?
These are real health choices faced by the person on the street.
Questions of the integrity of the pharmaceutical industry – arguably the core of the public health system – leave very little hope for the public.
It is time for the government to strictly regulate the pharmaceutical industry and allow only reputable companies to supply the public health system and have those supplies regularly inspected.