According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 10-30% of the medicines in the developing world are counterfeits. I assume this means addressable counterfeiting--counterfeiting to which the buyer is oblivious.

http://www.in-pharmatechnologist.com/Materials-Formulation/USP-targets-counterfeits-in-Cambodia/?c=ZS6DWN3IZ%2FJ7P5ONPLFYaw%3D%3D&utm_source=newsletter_daily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Newsletter%2BDaily

Different, caring organizations around the world (see previous blog postings on NAFDAC, for example) are addressing local problems. In the case of the article linked above, the USP and USAID are messaging counterfeiting as a crime "against humanity, against you". A fair assessment. Cambodia and other developing countries will also reasonably address anti-counterfeiting since it is also a huge economic hit for their countries, even if their country is a "net counterfeiter" (i.e. their country makes more money exporting counterfeit goods than they lose on sales of counterfeit goods within their country--this may be true, for example, of China).

Why? Because counterfeiters by definition target monetized transactions. And people with money to pay for what they feel are legitimate pharmaceutics are more likely to be tied into the legitimate economy of the country, and thus adding to the GDP (and thus actually developing these developing countries).

Countering counterfeiting, then, protects those who are bringing progress to the developing world. Want to prevent terrorism? Then stop counterfeiting! What better way to nurture a democracy than to support legitimate purchasing. The alternative is loss of faith in the processes of the "free" market. There are, of course, legitimate reasons to lose this faith (look at the current financial crisis caused in large part by the creed of greed in the US financial sector and other locations--obviously some limitations/safeguards are needed), but counterfeit pharmaceuticals should not be one of them.

Cheers,

Steve

Thanks to my friend and colleague, Martina Trucco, for the link