The new testing process
This new chemical analysis can detect fake medications in just ten minutes and give experts a print out of what the “medication” is actually made of.
The method was developed and tested by Philippe Lebel, Alexandra Furtos and Karen Waldron of the university’s Department of Chemistry.
Current tests can take almost an hour to check a drug’s validity. This new test is faster and provides more information than the current testing method.
Health Canada has already incorporated it in its counterfeit monitoring process. It could even serve as a model for the rest of the world in the anti-counterfeiting and anti-doping battle.
The growing problem with fake medications
Health experts are seeing an increase in the number of counterfeit pills. There a lot of rouge websites that claim to sell Viagra or Cialis, but instead of selling the real deal, they make their own version of the medication. Many of these fakes look just like the real thing, but often contain harmful ingredients, Waldon says.
“These drugs are often manufactured in garages with poor sanitation. They can be dosed less, even devoid of the active ingredient,” Waldron said. “Worse, they can contain a different substance that can cause undesirable side effects.”
“There is no information on the actual origin of these products, their storage conditions, their composition, their dosages, or their toxicity, for example,” Lebel adds.
The World Health Organization estimates that sales of counterfeit medications has reached $75 billion.
If you decide to order medications online, make sure you’re doing so through a trusted online facilitator. One that sells name brand, FDA-approved medications.
We specialize in providing our over 1,000,000 customers with relevant product and condition information created by our professional editorial staff which includes our team of medical writers, medical practitioners, and health educators. eDrugStore.com Staff on Facebook