The Food and Drug Administration reminded consumers anew that online selling of medicines is not allowed in the country.
“It is illegal in the Philippines. There is no such thing as online selling of medicines in the Philippines,” said FDA officer-in-charge Director General Rolando Enrique Domingo during the sidelines of the Anti-Counterfeit Medicine Summit in Pasay City yesterday.
Domingo said that the public should avoid purchasing medicines that are being sold online because it may be a counterfeit product and may pose potential health risks.
“Hindi mo alam saan nanggaling iyan, walang nag-check niyan na pharmacist kung totoong genuine product iyan or counterfeit iyan,” he said.
The Health official noted that branded medicines and those that are facing shortage were the most common products being counterfeited. “The most common counterfeits are the branded, expensive, popular drugs and those with shortages in the market,” he said.
Domingo noted that it is difficult to monitor if the medicines being sold online were genuine since they are being sold by unlicensed sellers. (Analou de Vera)
