The Central American and Caribbean Federation of Pharmaceutical Laboratories (Fedefarma) has issued an alert regarding the increased risk of counterfeit medicines circulating in Panama and the region during the end-of-year festive season. The organization urges citizens to purchase medicines exclusively from pharmacies and authorized outlets, and to be wary of excessively low prices to protect their health and avoid financial losses. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in developing countries, such as those in Central America and the Caribbean, between 10% and 30% of medicines may be counterfeit. These counterfeits range from illegal copies of registered products to manufactured formulas with no active ingredient or with concentrations lower than indicated. Beyond the grave health risk, the impact of counterfeit medicines is also economic, leading to duplicate expenses for patients, worsening of illnesses, and increased pressure on the healthcare system. Fedefarma provides recommendations, including buying only from formal, licensed points of sale, being suspicious of unusually low prices, avoiding informal commerce, distrusting 'miracle cure' advertising, checking packaging seals, and properly disposing of expired medicines.
