No fake drugs in Turkish drugstores

ANKARA - Anatolia News Agency

The Turkish Pharmacists’ Association responded to claims about counterfeit drugs circulating in the Turkish market saying that all drugs are tracked and registered.

No drug sold in a drugstore in Turkey could possibly be fake, according to the Turkish Drugstore Union, responding yesterday to wide-spread speculation about counterfeit drugs circulating in the Turkish market.

“The drugs purchased from drugstores in Turkey cannot be fake,” said the Turkish Pharmacists’ Association (TEB) in a written statement. Specifically, fake cancer drugs sold under the name Avastin could not be purchased from official pharmacies, according to the statement.

The statement came two days after Reuters reported that fake versions of the multibillion-dollar cancer drug Avastin were purchased in Turkey before being traded by middlemen across the Middle East and Europe to the United States. The Turkish Health Ministry launched an investigation on March 1 into claims that fake cancer drugs were being smuggled abroad from Turkey, saying Turkey trusted drug-monitoring systems.

Drugs are registered

TEB’s statement said the organization registers all drugs and tracks the number and doses prescribed to each patient in its computer-based system, preventing the sale of any counterfeit drugs. TEB hadn’t received any notification about fake drugs, it said.

The association has also warned patients about purchasing drugs from websites. “Despite their cheaper prices, drugs marketed through websites should never be purchased or used,” said TEB. “Patients should not risk their lives with such attempts.”