Home » Posts tagged 'fake meds'

Tag Archives: fake meds

Campaigning for Change: The MHRA and Counterfeit Treatments

These days, it’s near impossible to spend time browsing websites, or even social media, without encountering an advert that is claiming something extraordinary. These span from wonder treatments that will cause you to lose weight rapidly, to those that promise a hair loss treatment that will leave you with a full head of hair in weeks. Today, it is harder than ever to separate fact from fiction.

Many of these adverts look very professional, with medical backing and ‘examples’ of how the treatment has worked for some people. However, in many cases, these treatments are counterfeit, or the product has been compromised. Designed to look appealing to customers who are seeking a way to save a bit of money, but instead leaving them out of pocket and in a potentially harmful position.

The main defence that UK customers have against these kinds of products, is the Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). In the past, the agency has primarily worked behind the scenes; identifying and seizing counterfeit products, and warning the public of scams. But, as the world of counterfeit treatments continues to grow, they have brought their Fake Meds campaign to the public for a second year.

Hair loss tablets
Hair loss tablets

Putting a Stop to Counterfeit Hair Loss Treatments

There are many official products on the market that offer treatments for hair loss, such as Instant Hair Thickener, that is proven to work and comes from a reputable company. However, there is also a large number of fake products that customers in the UK need to be made aware of. Every year, the MHRA is responsible for stopping the supply of an extensive range of different fake treatments.

In 2016, in excess of 100,000 doses of erectile disfunction medication that was unlicensed, was seized from a man in London. This was in addition to even more prescription medication. The man received an imprisonment sentence of 20 months and was also ordered to pay surcharges.

Another case, also from 2016, saw a man in Tooting imprisoned for 4 years for multiple offences. These included money laundering, but also the sale and importation of unlicensed medication. Amongst the medication were quantities of erectile disfunction medication and medication for the treatment of hair loss, some of which was counterfeit.

Supporting the Fake Meds Campaign

One of the best ways to help stop the sale of counterfeit medication, is to support the Fake Meds campaign, which uses the hashtag #FakeMeds. Along with safety tips, the campaign has introduced a yellow card system that allows the public to inform the MHRA of concerns over counterfeit medication that they may have bought. Through their website, you can check if a service that you’re considering using is registered, report suspicious suppliers, and inform them of side effects that you believe have been caused because of counterfeit medication.

The sale of counterfeit, compromised, or unlicensed medication, not only poses a risk to the public through ineffective results, but can cause a wide range of further medical issues. If you’re looking for hair loss treatment, like restrand instant hair thickener, then buying from a company that is trusted, is incredibly important.