[e-drug] New York Times report on counterfeit medicines (2)

["sahajbrc" <sahajbrc@youtele.com>]

E-DRUG:  New York Times report on counterfeit medicines (2)
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[There is no doubt the use of the word counterfeit is often inaccurate,  However, some companies that take advantage of free trade zones to develop internet sales of pharmaceuticals  do not have the quality assurance mechanisms to ensure the quality of the products they source, so it is possible for substandard products to be among those of good quality.    BS]. 

 The article conflates several meanings of counterfeit and  tries to create
a scare. It appears that the moment one makes a drug in patent (but not in
patent in my country say) it becomes also substandard and necessarily will
have poisonous ingredients. 

Atorvastin (Lipitor) is made by several companies in India -  there is no
patent on it -- and nobody in India has died till now from taking generic
atorvastin.

Local atorvastin is made and sold at much lesser price -- the only thing
counterfeit seems to be the price of Lipitor by the originator. Overpriced
after so many years.

S. Srinivasan
LOCOST, Baroda, India
(maker of generic drugs at low prices for the NGO sector)
"sahajbrc" <sahajbrc@youtele.com>