Augusto Isdiro, NBI 7 assistant regional director, points to boxes of confiscated medicine seized from five small pharamcies like the Twin Star J Pharmacy (above) along Sanciangko st., Cebu City.
(CDN PHOTO/CHRISTIAN MANINGO and ADOR MAYOL)
‘Counterfeit’ cough and cold medicine seized in NBI’s raid of 5 small Cebu pharmacies
Boxes of cough and cold medicines were among the goods seized yesterday from five pharmacies in Metro Cebu as “fake” versions of popular brands.
“If you look at the packaging or the medicine itself, it is really similar to the genuine product. An ordinary customer would be deceived,” said Augusto Isidro, assistant director of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in Central Visayas.
The NBI raid stemmed from a complaint filed by Unilab, one of the country’s largest pharmaceutical and healthcare companies.
The drugs, which included pain relievers and vitamins, were being sold at a cheaper than usual price in small neighborhood boticas.
Among the products seized by the NBI yesterday were Biogesic, Neozep, Medicol Advance, Decolgen, Dolfenal, Solmux, Tuseran, Aspilets, Alaxan and Bioflu which are over-the-counter drugs for coughs, colds, flu and body aches.
There were also boxes of Qinolon, Diatabs, Kremil-S, Ceelin, Disudrin, Declone-C, Enervon-C, Neopyrazon, Revicon, Skelan, Myra-E vitamins, and the antibiotic Amoclav.
Counterfeit medicine poses a health risk because the ingredients may produce adverse effects or mislead the consumer to rely on them for relief or cure.
“Instead of curing a sick person, these fake medicines might worsen his condition,” said Isidro.
To make sure that one buys genuine pharmaceutical products, Isidro advised the public to purchase medicines at established drug stores.
The NBI team led by Special Investigator Florante Gaoiran was accompanied by Unilab representatives, whose help was needed to identify which goods were counterfeit based on product markings which the company could recognize.
Armed with a search warrant, NBI agents simultaneously raided Twin Star Pharmacy on Sanciangko Street in Cebu City; ERX Pharmacy in barangay T. Padilla, Cebu City; Lodith Pharmacy in barangay Paknaan, Mandaue City; T and A Pharmacy in barangay Tabunok, Talisay City; and Purchaser Pharmacy General Merchandise in West Poblacion, City of Naga.
Representatives from each outlet were brought to the NBI 7 office in Cebu City for questioning.
Judith Tundag, owner of Lodith Pharmacy in Mandaue City, said she had no idea the medicines they sold are fake.
She said she bought the seized medicine from another pharmacy in Mandaue City.
“We’ve been selling medicine in our small pharmacy for 15 years already. This is the first time we were told about this,” she told reporters.
She said she even gave her 10-year-old son, who suffered diarrhea, medicine from her store.
“Hinoon, wa siya naayo. (Well, he didn’t get better),” she said in hindsight.
For a month, the NBI monitored and conducted test-buys in 23 Cebu pharmacies suspected of selling counterfeit medicine.
Judge Ramon Daomilas of the Regional Trial Court Branch 11 in Cebu City issued the search warrant for five stores.
The NBI is conducting an inventory of the medicines they seized yesterday.
The products will be subjected to further tests by Unilab and the Food and Drug Authority (FDA) to determine their composition.
“Before the filing of any complaint, we need to secure certifications from Unilab and FDA that the items we confiscated are indeed fake,” said Isidro.
With this, the NBI plans to file charges against the pharmacy owners for violation of Republic Act 8293 or the Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines.
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