The Peterson Group - Counterfeit Drug Awareness Program

181 3rd St, W San Francisco, CA 94105, April 7, 2015 (Newswire.com) - Described as the crime of the 21st century, the counterfeiting of drugs is a common problem that plagues the governments and manufacturers in Asia. Of all the counterfeiting methods there are, none are more potentially damaging than those affecting health and safety. The production, distribution and consumption of counterfeit and fraud medicines are worldwide and affecting greatly not only in Asia which poses the biggest manufacturers of counterfeits but also to the countries where the drugs has been distributed. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a significant fraction of the world’s drug supply is counterfeit and falsified. Estimates of counterfeit drugs range from 10 to 15 % for the world drug supply, to more than 25% in developing countries (Gibson, 2004).

With the turn of the first quarter of 2015, The Peterson Group, a non-profit organization which brings awareness and action against counterfeit drugs has partnered with the World Health Organization (WHO) in battling with the illegal drugs’ production.

In Asia, recent WHO estimates suggest that Cambodia has about 2800 illegal medicine sellers and 1000 unregistered medicines on the market. In 2001, China had roughly 500 illegal medicine manufacturers, and the Lao People's Democratic Republic had about 2100 illegal medicine sellers. In Thailand, substandard medicines account for 8.5% of those on the market. Jakarta, Indonesia, on the other hand, has been reported to be the hotspot of counterfeit drugs and scams.

WHO has been working on the issue with regional governments for some time, and late last year, a meeting in Bangkok led to the development of country specific plans of action. The government of Australia has made funds available through the WHO for fighting counterfeit drugs in the region. The government agency also partnered with various organizations with the same advocacy. The Peterson Group is one of the many organizations who answered the call.

Combating low quality and illegal medicines are now more important than ever. Governments and agencies have now put up warnings on different media to fight this widespread illegal act. The Peterson Group is not any different. In fact, the company felt more obliged to wipe out the issue more than ever.

For the Peterson Group, it is pure and simple: counterfeit medicines are fake medicines and pose greatest harm if not stopped. The group continuously fights what seems an unending battle. Fake medicine is a grave matter which should not be ignored. The Peterson Group continues to vie for more help in response to the ill misconduct of production of fake medicines, believing that someday, these fraudulent acts may somehow halt to a stop.