Counterfeit Pharmaceuticals: A Global Perspective

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), counterfeit pharmaceuticals are medicines which are “deliberately and fraudulently mislabelled with respect to identity and/or source.” Such products can include drugs with correct ingredients, without any active ingredients, or active drugs sold in fake packaging.

Counterfeit and illigally imported medicines are dangerous by their nature – they are not produced, stored and transported under safe conditions and they are not inspected by the regulatory authorities. Therefore, it is impossible for consumers to know what ingredients these products actually contain.

While Iran has a pharmaceutical distribution system that is closely monitored by health and government authorities, new cases of counterfeit and illegally imported medicines are still emerging in the market on a daily basis. Behestan Darou is working closely with the Iran Food and Drug Organization, licensed distributers and other government authorities to monitor distribution channels and implement anti-counterfeiting technologies such as 3D-holograms and Drug Authenticity Scratch Labels in order to ensure consumers' access to safe and effective medicines.

International Medicinal Products Anti-Counterfeiting Taskforce (IMPACT) 
Iran Drug Authenticity Scratch Labels
Center of Combating Goods and Currency Trafficking of Iran