Merk combats counterfeit medicines

The General Chemicals Manager of Merck, a global pharmaceuticals and biopharmaceutical products company, Mr Willi Moor has reiterated the company’s commitment to combating the upsurge of counterfeit medicines in developing countries.

According to him, an Interpol report indicated that about 10 to 30 per cent of medicines offered worldwide was counterfeit or of deficient quality and it is very prevalent in developing countries. 

The company, he explained was thus committed to ensuring that people get the right quality for what they pay for and as such introduced the Global Pharma Health Fund (GPHF), a non-profit initiative funded by Merck, dedicated to fighting counterfeit medicines.

Using the Minilab developed by the GPHF, people are able to detect counterfeit medicines quickly and easily.

At water seminar organised by Merck Millipore with the help of its local partner, PKF Scientific Limited, Mr Moor said the GPHF developed the Minilab specifically for use in regions with a simple infrastructure.

“The rapid analyses do not rely on external power sources and normal drinking water suffices for the tests. There is currently no other product like it. To date, the GPHF has supplied 578 Minilabs at cost to 86 countries. More than half of these countries are in Africa, and one third of them are in Asia,” he said.

The Minilabs he explained are primarily utilised by local health authorities, often in collaboration with labs for governmental drug inspection centers.

He said Merck participates in external research with the aim of increasing the number of medicines that can be tested. In 2011 and 2012, the GPHF developed testing methods for seven other pharmaceuticals each and updated the user manuals accordingly.

“The GPHF also offers training courses in order to familiarize users with the test procedures. In 2012, training courses were held in Russia, Myanmar, Angola, Germany, and Indonesia.” He said.

Also, a total of 77 Minilabs were supplied in 2011 and 100 in 2012. In addition to selling them at cost, which is handled via a distribution partner, Mr Moor said both the GPHF and Merck donate Minilabs in individual cases.

For instance, in 2012, Merck donated ten Minilabs to the Angolan Ministry of Health, and the GPHF donated five labs to the Ministry of Health of Zambia, five to the Ministry of Health and Welfare of Tanzania, and one to the Ghanaian Ministry of Health.