Publication: Fake antimalarials in Southeast Asia are a major impediment to malaria control: Multinational cross-sectional survey on the prevalence of fake antimalarials
Issued Date
2004-12-01
Resource Type
ISSN
13602276
Other identifier(s)
2-s2.0-19944377485
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Mahidol University
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SCOPUS
Bibliographic Citation
Tropical Medicine and International Health. Vol.9, No.12 (2004), 1241-1246
Suggested Citation
A. M. Dondorp, P. N. Newton, M. Mayxay, W. Van Damme, F. M. Smithuis, S. Yeung, A. Petit, A. J. Lynam, A. Johnson, T. T. Hien, R. McGready, J. J. Farrar, S. Looareesuwan, N. P.J. Day, M. D. Green, N. J. White Fake antimalarials in Southeast Asia are a major impediment to malaria control: Multinational cross-sectional survey on the prevalence of fake antimalarials. Tropical Medicine and International Health. Vol.9, No.12 (2004), 1241-1246. doi:10.1111/j.1365-3156.2004.01342.x Retrieved from: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/20.500.14594/21343
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Title
Fake antimalarials in Southeast Asia are a major impediment to malaria control: Multinational cross-sectional survey on the prevalence of fake antimalarials
Other Contributor(s)
Mahidol University
University of Oxford
Mahosot Hospital
Prins Leopold Instituut voor Tropische Geneeskunde
Médecins Sans Frontieres
Wildlife Conservation Society
Wildlife Conservation Society-Lao PDR Program
UCL
Shoklo Malaria Research Unit
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine
Mahosor Hospital
Centre for Tropical Diseases Vietnam
University of Oxford
Mahosot Hospital
Prins Leopold Instituut voor Tropische Geneeskunde
Médecins Sans Frontieres
Wildlife Conservation Society
Wildlife Conservation Society-Lao PDR Program
UCL
Shoklo Malaria Research Unit
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine
Mahosor Hospital
Centre for Tropical Diseases Vietnam
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence of counterfeit antimalarial drugs in Southeast (SE) Asia. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. SETTING: Pharmacies and shops selling antimalarial drugs in Myanmar (Burma), Lao PDR, Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Proportion of artemisinin derivatives or mefloquine containing drugs of substandard quality. RESULTS: Of the 188 tablet packs purchased which were labelled as 'artesunate' 53% did not contain any artesunate. All counterfeit artesunate tablets were labelled as manufactured by 'Guilin Pharma', and refinements of the fake blisterpacks made them often hard to distinguish from their genuine counterparts. No other artemisinin derivatives were found to be counterfeited. Of the 44 mefloquine samples, 9% contained <10% of the expected amount of active ingredient. CONCLUSIONS: An alarmingly high proportion of antimalarial drugs bought in pharmacies and shops in mainland SE Asia are counterfeit, and the problem has increased significantly compared with our previous survey in 1999-2000. This is a serious threat to public health in the region.