The City Council of Manila passed a resolution Thursday, 21 September 2023, directing the Committee on Consumer Affairs and Price Control to conduct an inquiry, in aid of the legislation, into the sale and distribution of counterfeit drug products in Manila.
In a recent advisory, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cautioned the public on the availability of counterfeit drug products in the market, mostly in neighborhood stores, and the harm these products bring to their users.
The FDA identified the following medicines as having counterfeit versions sold in various local stores in Metro Manila:
- DextromethorphanHydrobromide/Phenylpropanolamine Hydrochloride/Paracetamol (Tuseran Forte) [Reformulated] 15 mg/25 mg/325 mg capsule
- Ibuprofen/Paracetamol (Alaxan FR) 200 mg/325 mg capsule
- Loperamide Hydrochloride (Diatabs) 2 mg capsule
- Mefenamic Acid (Dolfenal) 500 mg film-coated tablet
- Loperamide Hydrochloride (Lomotil) 2 mg capsule
- Mefenamic Acid (Gardan) 500 mg tablet
- Paracetamol (Biogesic) 500 mg tablet
- Phenylpropanolamine Hydrochloride + Chlorphenamine Maleate + Paracetamol (Decolgen Forte) 25mg /2mg /500 mg tablet
“It is the duty and responsibility of the City Council of Manila to safeguard the welfare and wellbeing and of its constituents by ensuring the accessibility of safe and authentic drug products”, said the resolution authored by Second District Councilor Numero “Uno” G. Lim.
It instructed the committee to involve the FDA, law enforcement agencies, healthcare professionals, and other stakeholders in its investigation, and thereafter make recommendations on possible legislative measures the Council may adopt in order to stop the proliferation of counterfeit medicines in the City.
