Hidden Poisons in Counterfeit Medications——假药中隐藏的毒物

Counterfeit drug incidents around the world have caused an estimated 700,000 deaths from malaria and tuberculosis alone, reports the International Policy Network. The global market in counterfeit and substandard drugs is highly lucrative and thrives in areas with weak regulation and enforcement of drug laws. Organizations such as FDA are working to develop methods to protect the drug supply chain but currently the counterfeiters are winning, according to US Dept of Commerce Office of Health & Consumer Goods director Jeffrey Gren.

Despite international diplomatic efforts to address this problem, counterfeit drug incidents continue to increase. India, the world’s largest manufacturer of generic drugs, may have as much as 12-25% of their supply contaminated with substandard and counterfeit medicines. WHO reports that many counterfeit items wind up in Africa, some nations may have up to 40% of their drug supply to contain counterfeits.

These counterfeit drug incidents take place across the globe. The fight to protect the international drug supply chain is helped each time counterfeit drug incidents are reported, keeping consumers alerted to risks, and aware of the necessity of encouraging their governments to legislate and enforce drug importation regulations.

There are a lot of shady ingredients that go into counterfeit medications that consumers can be exposed to by buying directly from unlicensed drug sellers on the internet, or when medical professionals purchase medications from outside the secured supply chain.

Investigators have found these dangerous ingredients in fake medicine.

Heavy metals

Mercury（汞）	Test results from a 2010 study showed researchers that 26% of a sampling of medications purchased from fake online pharmacies contained heavy metals or toxins including mercury. Mercury can cause peripheral neuropathy, skin discoloration, desquamation, kidney dysfunction and memory impairment.
Alumium（铝）	Aluminum was one heavy mental found in the autopsy of a Canadian who died of poisoning from heavy metals found in counterfeit medications she had purchased online. Poisonous doses of aluminum can cause neurotoxicity and respiratory damage.
Lead（铅）	Test results from a 2010 study showed researchers that 26% of a sampling of medications purchased from fake online pharmacies contained heavy metals or toxins including lead. Lead is toxic to many organs and tissues including the heart, bones, intestines, kidneys and reproductive and nervous systems.
Cadmium（镉）	Test results from a 2010 study showed researchers that 26% of a sampling of medications purchased from fake online pharmacies contained heavy metals or toxins including cadmium. Carcinogenic, ingestion of cadmium can damage heart, blood vessels, digestive system, nervous system, lungs, liver and kidney, and cause immediate poisning.
Arsenic（砷）	Arsenic has been found by researchers in counterfeit medications purchased online in a 2010 study and in the fake drug that poisoned and killed a Canadian woman in 2006. Arsenic poisoning causes headaches confusion, diarrhea, and drowsiness, as well as vomiting, blood in the urine, cramping, hair loss, and convulsions, and is carcinogenic.
Chrome（铬）	Chromium was found by researchers in a sampling of medications purchased from fake online pharmacies in 2010. It can damage kidneys, liver and blood cells, resulting in hemolysis, renal and liver failure.
Uranium（铀）	Uranium was one heavy metal found in the autopsy of Canadian who died of poisoning from heavy metals found in counterfeit medications she had purchased online. Uranium causes urinary system and kidney damage.
Strontium（锶）	Strontium was one heavy metal found in the autopsy of Canadian who died of poisoning from heavy metals found in counterfeit medications she had purchased online. Toxic level of strontium affect the muscles and skeleton.
Selenium（硒）	Selenium was one heavy metal found in the autopsy of Canadian who died of poisoning from heavy metals found in counterfeit medications she had purchased online. Toxic levels of selenium cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, as well as selenosis, and neurological disorders.

Actual poison

PCBs（多氯联苯）	Researches found polychlorinated biphenyls(PCBs) in fake medication purchased online in 2010. PCBs are estrogenic disrupters that may cause breast, uterine and cervical cancer and lead to developmental defects.
Benzopyrenes（苯并芘）	Carcinogenic and found in coal tar, benzopyrenes also have been found by fake medication purchased online in 2010.
Rat poison（鼠药）	Interpol has found rat poison in counterfeit medications. Rat poison can contain many different poisons, some of which will affect nervous system, lung, heart, liver, and kidney. Some can cause hair loss, vomiting, diarrhea and death, even in doses as low as 1 gram.
Boric acid（硼酸）	Found by in fake medicines by Interpol, boric acid can cause kidney damage and kidney failure.
Antifreeze（防冻剂）	Antifreeze was substituted for glycerine in cough syrup and other common medications, killing 365 people in Panama, 88 children in Haiti,84 children in Nigeria and 18 people in Guanzhou. Lethal in doses as small as 1/3 of a teaspoon, it causes kidney damage and failure.

Common household items

Road paint（路漆）	Used by counterfeiters to provide color to pills, road paint can contain heavy metals for pigment, as well as hydrocarbons which are poisonous and can cause coma, blurred vision, rapid heartbeat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
Wall paint（墙漆）	Used by counterfeiters to provide color to pill, wall paint can contain heavy metals for pigment, as well as hydrocarbons which are poisonous and can cause coma, blurred vision, rapid heartbeat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
Brick dust（砖灰）	Used by counterfeiters to provide color and texture to pills, brick dust can contain poisonous heavy metals and other chemicals.
Floor wax（地板蜡）	Used to provide a nice sheen to mimic an enteric coating, floor wax can contain formaldehyde which can cause vomiting, abdominal pain, dizziness, and in extreme cases can cause death.
Sheet rock（片岩）	Sheet rock can be formed into pills, and provide no medicinal benefits. It is not approved for use as an excipient.
Paint thinner（涂料稀释剂）	Paint thinner may get into bottles when it’s used to peel old labels off empty bottles for re-use. Paint thinner can cause nervous system disruption, including coma, respiratory difficulty and gastrointestinal distress.

Drugs you didn’t ask for

Aminotadalafil（氨基他达那非）	ED medication purchased online and purporting to contain sildenafil citrate, vardenavil or tadalafil, instead was tested by researchers and found to contain aminotadalafil which is not FDA approved for human consumption.
Homosildenafil（蒙莫西地那非）	ED medication purchased online and purporting to contain sildenafil citrate, vardenavil or tadalafil, instead was tested by researchers and found to contain homosildenafil which is not FDA approved for human consumption.
Xanthoanthrafil	ED medication purchased online and purporting to contain sildenafil citrate, vardenavil or tadalafil, instead was tested by researchers and found to contain xanthoanthrafil which is not FDA approved for human consumption.
Pseudovardenafil（伪伐地那非）	ED medication purchased online and purporting to contain sildenafil citrate, vardenavil or tadalafil, instead was tested by researchers and found to contain pseudovardenafil which is not FDA approved for human consumption.
Hongdenafil（红地那非）	ED medication purchased online and purporting to contain sildenafil citrate, vardenavil or tadalafil, instead was tested by researchers and found to contain hongdenafil which is not FDA approved for human consumption.
Sibutramine（西布曲明）	Instead of receiving the legitimate FDA approved weight loss drug, when consumers purchased it online from a fake pharmacy, they received dangerous amounts of the not FDA approved stimulant sibutramine which can cause high blood pressure, heart attack and stroke.
Haloperidol（氟哌啶醇）	Consumers who wanted to purchase safe FDA approved sleep medication instead received foreign versions of haloperidol, an anti-psychotic drug when they purchased from a fake pharmacy online. As a result, these customers needed emergency medical treatment for symptoms such as difficulty in breathing, muscle spasms, and muscle stiffness.

No drug at all

Dextrose（葡萄糖）	Over the internet, a Canadian man sold starch, dextrin, dextrose and lactose to cancer patients seeking an experimental cancer drug called dicholoracetate(DCA). They paid over $100 a shipment for something with no therapeutic value. He pleaded guilty in US court in May 2010.
Dextrin（糊精）	Over the internet, a Canadian man sold starch, dextrin, dextrose and lactose to cancer patients seeking an experimental cancer drug called dicholoracetate(DCA). They paid over $100 a shipment for something with no therapeutic value. He pleaded guilty in US court in May 2010.
Lactose（乳糖）	Over the internet, a Canadian man sold starch, dextrin, dextrose and lactose to cancer patients seeking an experimental cancer drug called dicholoracetate(DCA). They paid over $100 a shipment for something with no therapeutic value. He pleaded guilty in US court in May 2010.
Starch（淀粉）	In the US, starch was found as a substitute for active ingredients in cancer medications dicholoracetate and bevacizumab. Patients who were given these counterfeits received no therapeutic benefit from the fakes.
Saline（盐水）	Saline was the main ingredient in counterfeit cancer medication used to treat macular degeneration distributed in Shanghai hospital in 2011. Contaminated with endotoxin, the medication caused eye inflammation and vision deterioration in 61 victims.
Salt（盐）	In February 2012, the FDA announced that 19 US cancer clinics had purchased medications from outside the approved supply for a chemotherapy drug. Tested by authorities, the fake Avastin sold by the supplier contained no therapeutic medication, but only starch, salt, and other chemicals.

信息来源：http://www.safemedicines.org