Patients
Drug Safety - Your Life and Health
Purchasing and checking the authenticity of medicines
The authenticity control system for medicines has been created by pharmaceutical manufacturers to ensure that patients receive guaranteed genuine medicines. The system operates in the background, which means that the person dispensing the medicine - usually a pharmacist - checks the authenticity of the medicine. Authenticity control is applied to almost all prescription medicines, with some exceptions. Medicines whose packaging has a security code and which are also equipped with anti- tampering protection are called serialised medicines, meaning that it is possible to check that they are genuine medicines. At the time of dispensing (selling) the medicine, the authenticity of the medicine is also automatically checked. If the check is unsuccessful, the pharmacist is generally not allowed to dispense the medicine. In certain exceptional cases - for example, in the event of a technical failure of the system - the pharmacist may dispense the medicine, but must check it later and store the patient's data before dispensing, so that it is possible to contact them later about a specific medicine if necessary. Therefore, if there is a delay in dispensing medication at the pharmacy, it is good to know that this is primarily related to ensuring the patient's life and health, and this should always be treated with understanding.
E-pharmacies
In addition to retail pharmacies, it is also possible to buy medicines from e-pharmacies, or so-called online pharmacies. They mainly sell over-the-counter medicines, while in different countries the same medicines may be available with a prescription in one country and without in another. If it is an e-pharmacy with an official operating permit and license, then you do not have to be afraid to buy medicines from there. However, just as scams are common in many other areas, especially in e-commerce, they also exist on websites related to medicines. Understandably, such sales channels have neither a license nor an operating permit. Medicines are often offered there cheaper and prescription medicines without a prescription, which may at first glance attract people to buy medicines from such a place, but which should definitely be avoided in reality, because it is a threat to our own lives and health.
What to look for when buying and using medicines
One very important additional functionality of the medicine authenticity control system is the expiration date check, which is one of the four components of the security element. However, the system detects the medicine as expired if the date indicated on the package is earlier than the date of purchase. It is important to check when the package expires when purchasing. For example, if the medicine in the package is intended to be consumed within a month, but the package expires in 10 days, it is not possible to consume the entire package within the validity period and the pharmacy should not issue such a package.
Counterfeit medicines
What distinguishes counterfeit medicines from genuine ones is primarily the fact that instead of the real active ingredient, they contain either a substance with no therapeutic effect - such as sugar - or, in worse cases, a substance that is harmful to health and can even cause death.
Statistically, the most counterfeited drugs are expensive drugs used to treat tumors, drugs like Viagra, and drugs used to treat malaria. If the drug is cheaper than usual, if it is sold in a place that does not have a license or permit, or if it is generally a prescription drug that the place of sale also offers without a prescription, you should be very careful and rather refrain from buying and consuming such a drug.