Health & Cambodia: Working together to prevent the anarchic sale of counterfeit medicines on social networks

Health Ministry officials are calling on Siem Reap's provincial pharmacists committee to work together to prevent the haphazard sale of counterfeit medicines on social media.

SE. Mr. Ban Botta, Undersecretary of State of the Ministry of Health and Chairman of the Council of Pharmacists of Cambodia, called on all pharmacists in Siem Reap to work together to prevent the sale of counterfeit medicines on social media that could affect the health of consumers. The call was made at a meeting of pharmacists and healthcare professionals held in Siem Reap on Sunday morning.

His Excellency clarified that, in the past, the Council of Pharmacists has observed that there are numerous dissemination methods aimed at promoting and selling medicines which are not properly registered and which do not have a clear origin.

“Therefore, as healthcare professionals, we must work together to prevent the sale of counterfeit medicines in pharmacies and on social media.”

Ms Ly Vannak, President of the Siem Reap Provincial Council of Pharmacists, said the meeting was essential for pharmacists to work together to prevent the sale of medicines not registered with the Ministry of Health or counterfeit.

In February this year, the Ministry of Health had already urged the profession to participate in the elimination of counterfeit medicines. This other call to action was launched during a program to train pharmacists in Phnom Penh, organized by the Council of Pharmacists of the provincial capital.

The vice-president of the board, Va Sokea, on this occasion underlined the objective of the initiative aimed at strengthening the professional limits of pharmacists in the medical field, as described in the “Handbook of Standards for Pharmacy Professional and Pharmacist Professional Limitations”.

He reminded pharmacists of the legal consequences of professional misconduct and urged them to join the fight against counterfeiting.

Ngy Mean Heng, director of the Phnom Penh municipal health department, recognized the commendable work of pharmacies in the capital, but also stressed the need to strengthen the skills of pharmacists in the field.

In December 2023, the Ministry of Health also issued a warning after the discovery of six counterfeit medicines available on the Internet.

During raids in Pha’av village in Kampong Cham, specialists from the ministry’s pharmaceuticals, food, medical equipment and cosmetics department, alongside local health officials and authorities, discovered products. These raids led to the identification of six counterfeit medical products, all containing banned substances. Products discovered included calcium tablets and capsules, antacid tablets, and other items aimed at treating constipation and eye conditions.

According to the National Center for Health Product Quality Control (NHQC), some of the products contained Diclofenac sodium or betamethasone, both of which have serious health consequences and can be fatal with prolonged use.

“Please stop buying any type of food or medicine on social media platforms such as TikTok, Telegram and YouTube, as these medicines and products offer no guarantee of quality and safety,” underlined the ministry which had advised citizens to only purchase duly registered and approved products, identifiable by visa and registration numbers issued by the ministry. These items must also be purchased from licensed pharmacies.