Falsified and substandard medicines

Abstract

The circulation of poor-quality medicines, whether they are the result of drug falsification or substandard production, is a serious public health problem in low-income countries (LICs) and lower-middle-income countries (LMICs). The prevalence of poor-quality medicines varies considerably among countries and disproportionately affects countries with an unregulated market for medicines. There is a need for more data to determine both the extent of the problem and the types of poor-quality medicines.