The ‘Cracking Counterfeit’ report commissioned by Pfizer reveals one in ten men interviewed – which would equate to more than 335,931 men living in major cities alone – admit to purchasing prescription only medicines without a prescription.
Half (50%) of the men who have purchased medicine without a prescription have done so via the internet – a worrying statistic when you factor in that 90% of all medicines sold on the internet are thought to be fake.
The reality is that counterfeit medicine can damage one’s health, and in some cases cause death.
Counterfeit medicine can contain high levels of toxic solvents for example, rat poison has been found in a counterfeit blood pressure lowering treatment, while boric acid and lead based road paint have both been found in a counterfeit medicine used to ease severe pain.
The study also highlights the ignorance amongst men about which medicines actually require a prescription – only 40% of the men interviewed knew that erectile dysfunction medicine was in fact legally available only with a prescription.
The report also illustrates just how big the counterfeit medicine market is - with men potentially pouring more than £10 million into the counterfeit medicine market annually.
Follow the link on the right to download a copy of the full report and the press release.