THE Food and Drug Administration (FDA) yesterday said it is partnering with local government units and the police in inspecting “sari-sari” stores and similar establishments to determine if they are illegally selling medicines or selling fake products.
“We have sought the assistance of the PNP and LGUs in checking these small pharmacies and sari-sari stores that have no licenses from the FDA to dispense drugs,” said FDA spokesperson Pamela Sevilla.
Those illegally selling medicines stand to lose their business permits.
“Their licenses as business establishments may be revoked if they are not licensed by the FDA,” Sevilla said adding those selling counterfeit medicines face imprisonment.
“There is provision of imprisonment as provided by the Special Law on Counterfeit Drugs,” she said.
The FDA in recent days issued several advisories about the presence of counterfeit medicines in the market.
Counterfeit drugs/medicines are defined as “products with the correct ingredients but not in the amounts as provided, wrong ingredients, without active ingredients, with insufficient quantity of active ingredient, which results in the reduction of the drug’s safety, efficacy, quality, strength, or purity.”
