E-drug: Pharmaceutical exports (cont'd)
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A reaction on Mark Raymakers' and Laura Akgulan's posting on
pharmaceutical exports.
My feeling is that there is enough material to proof that the export of
sub-standard pharmaceuticals from developed (and less developed)
countries is a major problem. I remember articles since the 60's. Also,
this problem formed in fact the basis for DAP's initiative for Donor
Guidelines. So, we are doing something about it and I fully support
this.
However, I think we have an opportunity here to do much more. To
explain myself I would like to use the parallel of the issue of narcotics.
What to think of all the money spent on the fight against abuse of
narcotics and, more specifically, the export of narcotic drugs from
Latin America and Asia? Soldiers are sent abroad to burn factories and
arrest drug-smugglers. Borders are being watched by an army of
people looking for those smugglers. A vast majority in this world
(especially in the developed countries) is well aware of the dangers of
these drugs and knows about the implications of the trade and use.
Now, am I wrong to say that the sale/export of sub-standard
pharmaceuticals could be morally seen as a similar criminal act as the
sale of cocaine or xtc? If I am right, it means that it is high time that
we use our (limited) resources to sensitise as much people as possible
on this issue, using the parallel of the illegal narcotics. And that we
inform people; especially politicians in developed countries guilty of
these facts. We tell them that their countries are no better than the
ones with known export of illegal narcotics (in fact they are worse,
because hardly anything has been done on the issue of the export of
sub-standard drugs, compared with all the regulations and measures
on illegal narcotics).
Rob Verhage
Procurement Advisor
Ministry of Health
Ghana
e-mail: mohup@ghana.com
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