THE Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning the public about the presence of counterfeit over-the-counter drugs in the market, which it said may cause danger or injury to consumers.
The FDA said the counterfeit drugs have different features from the legitimate products, like in logos, security marks, knurling, color, and appearance.
Demand for paracetamol and other drugs for flu-like symptoms recently rose as the latest variant of COVID-19 , Omicron, has symptoms similar to flu.
The FDA said it advises the public against the purchase and use of the counterfeit version of the following products: phenylephrine HCl/chlorphenamine maleate / paracetamol (Neozep® Forte) 10 mg / 2 mg /500 mg tablet; ibuprofen / paracetamol (Alaxan® FR) 200 mg / 325 mg capsule; mefenamic acid (Gardan®) 500 mg tablet; and phenylephrine HCl / chlorphenamine maleate / paracetamol (Bioflu®) 10 mg / 2 mg / 500 mg tablet; paracetamol (Biogesic®) 500 mg tablet; phenylpropanolamine HCl /chlorphenamine maleate paracetamol (Decolgen® Forte) 25 mg / 2 mg / 500 mg tablet; carbocisteine (Solmux®) 500 mg capsule; and dextromethorphan HBr / phenylpropanolamine HCl / paracetamol (Tuseran® Forte) 15 mg / 25 mg / 325 mg capsule.
The FDA agency appealed to all local government units and law enforcement agencies to monitor the presence of counterfeit drugs in their areas.
The Department of Health recently said there is no shortage in paracetamol and other drugs for flu-like symptoms, even as the pharmaceutical industry admitted that some brands like Biogesic and Bioflu are running out of stocks.
Meanwhile, an official of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines assailed individuals who paracetamol and other drugs amid the surge in COVID-19 cases.
Bishop Oscar Jaime Florencio, vice chair of the CBCP Commission on Health Care, said, “It is greediness to buy a large number of medicine. Please don’t do it.”
“If we don’t need that much, don’t buy that many drugs. It is not just you, who wants to live,” he added.
