Healthy Skepticism Library item: 15071

Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.

Publication type: report

Health Action International- Asia Pacific
Multi country Survey on Banned and Restricted Pharmaceuticals
Colombo, Sri Lanka: Health Action International- Asia Pacific 2008 August
http://haiap.org/upload/project-banned.pdf

Abstract:

Medicines do have a role to play in better health- the right medicines, at the right
time, at the right price, to the right people. But as a result of a profit motivated
pharmaceutical industry, there is a massive misuse of medicines which causes ill
health rather than better health. There are many products in our markets which are
harmful, ineffective, inappropriate, irrational, useless or needlessly expensive. The
scope of this report is to investigate a selected number of freely available harmful
products in countries of the Asia Pacific region. The objective is to initiate national
and regional campaigns to have them deregistered and removed from the market and
to campaign for stricter warnings on packages and product information leaflets for
those medicines which have limited therapeutic value.
Harmful products in the region in this study are those which have been severely
restricted or withdrawn in countries with strong regulatory authorities but are freely
available in others. *3 For example there are analgesics on some markets still
containing dipyrone – a medicine that can cause life-threatening shock and
potentially fatal blood disorders – despite being termed ‘obsolete’ by American
Medical Association.*3 In some countries there are antidiarrhoeals still containing
clioquinol or other hydroquinolines- medicines which were first connected with
severe nerve damage in 1970.*3
Manufacturers who market harmful and non-essential products in poor countries
invariably stress the differences in opinions and regulations that exist from one
country to another.*1 For example, within Europe medicines considered too
hazardous for sale in Britain and Scandinavian countries are still marketed in third
world countries. Undoubtedly this complicates the issues as there can be as many
opinions on the degree if risk of medicines as there are experts.*1
But the “differences” argument is advanced by companies to ‘prove’ that they are
doing all that can reasonably be expected of them and that it is up to the Third world
governments both to decide which medicines they will allow on to the market, and to
make sure they are used safely. But the argument needs to be turned on its head.
Third world regulatory agencies rely on manufacturers for information on which to
base their decisions. Inevitably manufacturers are in a position to convince
governments and the prescribers that the advantages offered by their products
outweigh possible hazards. As a result, medicines with known toxic side-effects are
freely available in Third world countries.
Therefore, a campaign against hazardous and irrational medicines is essential in the
interest of individuals and the society. It is essential to inform prescribers,
dispensers and the general public about the danger of these medicines supported by
empirical data collected from countries. The objective of the campaign is to inform
and educate the prescribers, dispensers and public.