What are the Public Health Implications of Illegal Drug Sales?

The manufacturing and trade of illegal drugs have become a global topic. The issue is not only damaging the legal rules and regulations but also affecting public health. In the healthcare industry, pharmaceutical products are critical to improving consumers’ health. Despite the strict law and the penalties, black market pharmaceuticals are on top. This serious topic points towards public health and the national economy. The illegal drug sales in India, as well as in other countries, touch lives and increase the challenges for consumers. The black market pharmaceuticals and illegal prescriptions cause overdoses and addiction. 

This comprehensive guide explores how unlicensed pharmacies are playing with public health and the causes of illegal online pharmacies in India. Let’s explore this page to tackle the challenges faced by the public. 

The Growing Threat of Illegal  Medical Drugs 

In India, CDSCO (Central Drugs Standard Control Organization) oversees the activities of drugs. While the drug’s safety and quality are measured through the CDSCO certificate. Well, many individuals or businesses in India are operating drug activities without a valid license. On the other hand, the sale of illegal drugs raises health risks among consumers. This is because these pharmaceuticals have not successfully undergone the BIS laboratory testing process to comply with standards of safety and quality. The drugs that lack quality are sold to those pharmacies that didn’t register their business with the relevant authority. The common risks are 

1. Unknown Ingredients: The harmful substances or toxins can be added to the illegal drugs. Such drugs can result from untreated illness or lead to poisoning in the consumer’s body. 
2. Unpredictable Strength: The registered medicines are managed to prevent the consumers from overdosing. However, the black market pharmaceuticals lead to overdose, which can result in a serious infection
3. Addiction Surge: The illegal medical drugs increase the complexity of treatment. As illegal drugs can be found easily at a low cost, this raises multiple challenges. 
4. Community Harm: The trade of unlicensed pharmaceuticals often raises concerns about violence. This causes uncertainty in a community that leads to poor health for people. 

The illegal drug trade not only affects a person, but it also damages the stability of the whole community. 

Why Illegal Prescription Drugs Are a Health Crisis?

Before purchasing any medicine, the patient requires a doctor’s prescription. The medicines, like painkillers or other drugs, are obtained through drug diversion. If it is purchased through an illegal prescription, it raises serious health issues. 

Note:  It is important to note that the absence of regulations in the market contributes to the growth of the black market for pharmaceuticals.

How Unlicensed Pharmacies Harm Communities?

It is essential for drug manufacturers, importers, or distributors to register with the CDSCO. However, numerous companies continue to sell unlicensed drugs both online and offline. The unlicensed drugs mean the pharmacies didn’t follow the rules and guidelines of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization. Such unverified operations affect the health of the public. Breakdown of unlicensed pharmacies:

The Unsafe Products

The pharmacist didn’t follow the CDSCO registration steps that indicate that they are selling expired or counterfeit drugs. 

No Professional Oversight

The CDSCO-registered pharmacies are trained to provide drugs to consumers accurately. However, the unlicensed pharmacies might be unprofessional and don’t know how to guide users. 

Targeting Desperate Buyers

The cost of the unregistered pharmacies is often low as they target those patients who cannot afford the legal drugs. But, in the response, such medicines raise the risks of poor health. 

Spreading Addiction

The consumers are very dependent on easy access to illegal drugs due to their low cost and short-term performance. 

What are the Steps to Address the Crisis? 

To protect the health of the public from illegal drugs and unlicensed pharmacies, the government needs to introduce strict laws. The strict action from the government as well as the communities can stand outstanding against illegal online pharmacies. Here are the steps to eliminate the risks of illegal medical drugs: 

• Stronger Regulations: The government should focus on those pharmacies that are operating a drug business illegally. Ban those online pharmacists who are unlicensed. This can only be done through stricter laws. 
• Spread the awareness of illegal drug issues. Educate people on how unregistered pharmaceuticals can affect their bodies. Also, educate them on why the doctor’s prescription drug diversion is critical. 
• Better Access to Healthcare: The dependency on illegal prescription drugs can be decreased with the lowering of the cost of drugs and easier access to treatment programs.
• International Cooperation: To increase the global drug trade across borders, the global communities need to focus on illegal online pharmacies and ban the trafficking networks. 

How to Identify Illegal Drugs under CDSCO Regulations?

The Central Drugs Standard Control Organization introduces back-to-back new updates. The new updates decrease the possible use of illegal drug sales in the markets. Interestingly, with the CDSCO law, the individual can verify the drug’s authenticity. Elaboration to identify illegal drugs:

1. Before purchasing the drugs from manufacturers, importers, or sellers, they must ensure they are registered with CDSCO or the relevant state authority. The CDSCO registration requires verifying the drug’s safety and quality standards. 
2. Now, most legitimate drugs are regulated in the market with QR codes. With the unique code or other verification tool, the customers can ensure the authenticity. By verifying the code, check the details related to the batch.
3. If you have proper drug testing facilities, test them to ensure whether it is an illegal drug or a registered one. This can also be verified by checking their physical appearance, labeling, and packaging structure. 
4. The authenticity of the medications must be confirmed, including the pharmacist’s name, dosage, manufacturing date, batch, and expiration date.
5. The illegal drugs mostly come with poor packaging. Sometimes, the printing also looks low. Such things directly point towards the rogue online pharmacies. 
6. The broken seals of the drugs and damaged containers point to the illegal drugs that are not cured before being presented in the markets.
7. If you are suspicious of any drugs, ensure whether these drugs are allowed to be sold in the market to sell. This can be verified by the CDSCO and the state drug published drug list. The authority has already published a list of those pharmaceutical products that are restricted from being sold in Indian markets. 

Conclusion 

The unregistered or illegal drugs raise a major concern related to public health. Such pharmaceuticals increase the risks of untreated disease. Most time, the health of the public is affected due to counterfeit, falsified, and substandard drugs. The overdose is another reason for poor public health. To avoid such significant risks, ensure that the drugs you are purchasing are registered with the CDSCO. Ensure the pharmacy’s availability by connecting to the relevant authority. 

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Which drugs are not allowed to be sold or are illegal in India?

Ans. The top illegal drugs are,

Nialamide

Practolol

Amidopyrine

Phenacetin

Methapyrilene and its salts

Methaqualone

Chloral Hydrate as a drug

2. How many combinations of drugs have been banned by the Indian government? 

Ans. The Government of India has banned almost 35 combination drugs, and the top one is Sertraline Hydrochloride IP, eq. to Sertraline 50mg + Clonazepam IP 0.5mg tablets.

3. Under which framework does CDSCO operate the drug regulations?

Ans. The activities of drugs like importation, manufacturing, and distribution are operated under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, and the Rules, 1945.

4. What is the role of CDSCO in drug regulations?

Ans. The CDSCO oversees the approval process for new drugs and their clinical trials prior to their introduction to the market. The authority also provides the drug license to those manufacturers who comply with legal requirements.

5. What are the common risks of unlicensed medicines?

Ans. To regulate the drug business in India, the operators are required to register with the CDSCO (Central Drugs Standard Control Organization) and the SDSCO (State Drugs Standard Control Organization). The authority ensures the products’ safety and quality standards before market presentation. 

User Query: CDSCO Consultant