Combatting counterfeit drugs: Case studies of Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand

Medicines can save lives only if they are safe, efficacious, of good quality and affordable. The use of unsafe, substandard, ineffective and counterfeit drugs can be harmful to the health of the users and the public. Governments have an obligation to ensure the safety, efficacy and quality of the drugs available to the public by regulating the manufacturing and distribution of drugs and by exercising legal power to control the proliferation of unsafe counterfeit medicines. This article surveys the factual and legal issues surrounding counterfeit drugs in three countries, namely Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand, in order to determine the magnitude and characteristics of the drug counterfeiting problem within the Southeast Asian region.