Dose of advice on fakes from Health Dept

Star: MALACCA: Consumers still can’t tell the difference between genuine and fake medicine, state Health Department (Pharmacy) deputy director Dr Salmah Bahri said yesterday.
She said this was evident from the seizure of over RM1mil worth of unlicensed medicine in the state from January to June, despite the department having only six staff in its pharmaceutical enforcement division to conduct investigation and raids.
“We also had more reports of consumers experiencing adverse effects after they consumed fake medicines,” she said.
Dr Salmah urged consumers to look for the registration number and Mediatag hologram sticker on the label of medicine packaging before using it.
This includes all forms of beauty and slimming products, she added.
“Consumers must understand that there is no such thing as a 100% safe medicine.
“They must also know their rights to know the full description of the medicine before using,” Dr Salmah said to about 100 participants at the state-level You and Your Medicine seminar at a hotel here yesterday.