Dermatologic Consequences of Substandard, Spurious, Falsely Labeled, Falsified, and Counterfeit Medications

Authors

Gabrielle H. Schwartzman, Department of Dermatology, George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, 2150 Pennsylvania Ave, NW, Suite 2B-430, Washington, DC 20037, USA.
Paige K. Dekker, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC, USA.
Anna S. Silverstein, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
Natalia M. Fontecilla, Department of Dermatology, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Scott A. Norton, Department of Dermatology, George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, 2150 Pennsylvania Ave, NW, Suite 2B-430, Washington, DC 20037, USA. Electronic address: scottanorton@gmail.com.

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

4-1-2022

Journal

Dermatologic clinics

Volume

40

Issue

2

DOI

10.1016/j.det.2021.12.008

Keywords

Counterfeit drugs; Crime; Drug eruptions; Fraud; Pharmaceutical preparations; Substandard drugs

Abstract

This article explores dermatologic consequences of substandard, spurious, falsely labeled, falsified, and counterfeit (SSFFC) pharmaceutical products. Many of these SSFFC products are neither safe nor effective, and are more likely to cause adverse events than the proper preparations. These products also affect the health of populations by generating drug-resistant pathogens and failing to control the spread of disease. This article reviews classification systems for fraudulent medications, provides a general overview of medical and public health problems associated with substandard medications, provides examples of dermatologic consequences of each category, and presents recommended steps to take when clinicians encounter suspected SSFFC products.

APA Citation

Schwartzman, Gabrielle H.; Dekker, Paige K.; Silverstein, Anna S.; Fontecilla, Natalia M.; and Norton, Scott A., "Dermatologic Consequences of Substandard, Spurious, Falsely Labeled, Falsified, and Counterfeit Medications" (2022). GW Authored Works. Paper 855.
https://hsrc.himmelfarb.gwu.edu/gwhpubs/855

Department

Dermatology