Ministry of Health warns of fake antibiotics

On July 30, the Drug Administration issued the above warning after the Testing Centers of Thanh Hoa and Binh Duong provinces discovered that the antibiotic Cefixime 200, batch numbers 04200623 and 28201123, did not meet quality requirements.

The labels of these two samples indicate that the place of manufacture is Cuu Long Pharmaceutical Joint Stock Company. However, the company representative said that there were signs of differences between the sample kept at the unit and the tested sample, indicating that the tested drug was fake. Accordingly, with the real drug, the pill has an even color, the edges and surface of the pill are not chipped. As for the fake drug, the edges of the pill are chipped a lot, the coating is thin, the color of the pills in the same blister pack is not uniform, there are colored spots.

Cefixime 200 is an oral antibiotic, sold by prescription, used to treat infections caused by sensitive bacteria such as otitis media, pharyngitis and tonsillitis, bronchitis, pneumonia, urinary tract infections... In August 2023, this company issued a warning about counterfeit Cefixime, advising consumers to be careful when buying.

The Drug Administration of Vietnam requests local health departments to coordinate with competent agencies to inspect drug businesses in the area and search for counterfeit drugs. People are advised not to trade or use counterfeit Cefixime 200 with the above-mentioned signs.

In recent times, the Ministry of Health has repeatedly warned about the situation of counterfeit drugs, most recently counterfeit cancer drugs. According to the Drug Administration of Vietnam, counterfeit drugs pose unpredictable dangers to patients. Patients spend money on counterfeit drugs that are ineffective in treatment, making their illness worse, missing the golden time for treatment. Counterfeit drugs can even lead to dangerous side effects that can affect their lives.