Each time you take your prescribed medicine; you trust that it’s safe and effective. However, counterfeit medications are a real concern in many countries, including the Philippines. These fake drugs may contain incorrect ingredients, no active ingredients, or harmful substances, putting your health at serious risk.¹

How to Spot Fake Medicines
While laboratory testing is the only way to confirm authenticity with certainty, there are signs you can watch out for:

• Spelling errors: Check for misspellings on the label, especially the product name, manufacturer, or ingredients.

• Appearance changes: If your medication suddenly looks different in size, shape, or color, consult your pharmacist or doctor.

• Poor quality: Authentic pills should look professionally made. Watch out for cracked, moldy, or crumbly tablets, or packaging with excess powder or crystals.

• Tampered packaging: Medicines should come in sealed, original packaging. If it looks opened or suspicious, ask your pharmacist.

Where to Buy Safe Medicines
To avoid counterfeit drugs, always buy from licensed pharmacies. Avoid purchasing medicines from informal vendors, markets, or unverified online sources. You can check if a pharmacy or seller is authorized through official government channels like the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Philippines.¹

If buying online, ensure the seller is registered and complies with local regulations. Be cautious of websites that look overly generic or similar to others, as these may be signs of illegitimacy.

What to Do If You Suspect a Counterfeit Drug
If you think your medicine might be fake:

1. Do not take it.
2. Contact your doctor and pharmacist immediately.
3. Report the incident to the appropriate health authorities. The FDA Philippines has an online reporting system at [email protected].¹
4. Reach out to the manufacturer if possible. They can verify batch numbers and guide you on proper disposal.

The Department of Health (DOH) and FDA have made data on counterfeit medicines publicly available, including statistics and common types of fake drugs found in the country from 2019 to 2024.²