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Allegedly, my very RELIABLE back channel informed me that a CRISIS IS GROWING DAILY in the HEALTH CARE SYSTEM with the very POOR-QUALITY PHARMACEUTICAL Products being given to patients at hospitals.
REMINDER: Guyana Government’s Primary Functional responsibilities are for Defence, HEALTH, and EDUCATION. Defence is paramount for security and wellbeing; HEALTH is WEALTH for Rich or Poor; and EDUCATION is Pivotal for the individual and Guyana.
With Guyana’s OIL BLESSINGS and WEALTH, there is an immediate need for BETTER QUALITY PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCTS at ALL Hospitals and Pharmacies.
The Top 10 Pharmaceutical Companies are listed in the Chart hereunder:
https://www.proclinical.com/blogs/2023-7/the-top-10-pharmaceutical-companies-in-the-world-2023
Do read the high expenditures for Hospitals, BUT Missing is the QUALITY CARE by Physicians and Nurses, due to poor pay, conditions, supplies, equipment, and specialties’ skills.
Prescription medications given to patients at Guyana government hospitals do not have enough active ingredients compared to similar medicines dispensed in the USA, UK, EU, or Canada. Many medications sold and dispensed at Guyana pharmacies are with LITTLE or NO ACTIVE INGREDIENTS. Active Ingredients are CRITICAL for a patent’s recovery.
EXAMPLE: Over the counter drugs like PANADOL BRAND seem to contain inadequate amounts of Acetaminophen. PANADOL is a brand owned by HALEON of Weybridge, United Kingdom and is a great company whose BRAND maybe COUNTERFEITED and sold in developing countries, including GUYANA.
Patients given prescription medications at Guyana government hospitals TAKE LONGER TO RECOVER or DIE, due to SUBSTANDARD PHARMACEUTICALS, and as soon as these SAME PATIENTS take THE SAME MEDICATIONS made in the USA, UK, EU, or Canada etc., they RECOVER QUICKLY. I know of a recent case from Georgetown to New York, with a 24-hour recovery beginning, after taking the same named medication.
There is an URGENT NEED for ARMS LENGTH inquires with independent testing arranged by Physicians, Present and Past Ministers of Health, Members of Parliament, Civil Society and Guyanese, to retrieve these horrible pharmaceuticals and to send to a USA Certified lab for testing. It takes Laboratory Testing to confirm 100% if a medication is AUTHENTIC or COUNTERFEIT.
ALL the manufacturers, distributors, suppliers, and representatives of these substandard products should be given the death penalty and the government ministers and personnel who approve these pharmaceutical supplies should be given life sentences, as a deterrent.
In Guyana most are aware of the PPP’s too close relationships with pharmaceutical products, manufacturers, distributors, suppliers, sales representatives, and the Public Procurement Commission (PPC) is stacked with a PPP majority of supporters and voting members. 3Fs, Families, Friends and Favorites, reign supreme, for a “fast buck.”
Allegedly, some corrupt persons are “PARKING their ILL GOTTEN GAINS, NEW MONEY”, in shopping malls, huge construction sites, new buildings, road construction companies, new hotels, new cars, fancy houses et al. All under the “ watchful eye” of the DEA office at the US Embassy in Georgetown with evidence.
Am reliably informed that a 2025 NEW Government, HEALTH will be a TOP PRIORITY, with a USA Trained, Skilled, and Practicing Medical Physician Professional with Harvard Graduate Management and Operational Skills. A HEALTH CHIEF with a NO NONSENSE APPROACH to health and well-being, which will be transformative for a Guyana for ALL, rich and poor with the needed RESOURCES. This Global Professional CHIEF will ensure a “GUYANA, USA FDA, TYPE Group of 7 persons ” MEDICAL DOCTORS, QUALIFIED Pharmacists and 1 Civil Society person”, to review and approve ALL Pharmaceutical Products including OVER THE COUNTER, products for ACTIVE INGREDIENT PRESCRIBING, prescriptions, and sales in Guyana.
Which countries are counterfeit drugs?
“In 2006, in most (54%) of the counterfeit drugs detected were manufactured India, with China manufacturing 21% and Hong Kong manufacturing 10%. The site of manufacture for these drugs is reported to take place more readily in countries which themselves neither have good purchasing practices nor good regulation.”
“ The World Health Organization has reported that counterfeit medicines potentially make up more than 50% of the global drug market, with a significant proportion of these fake products being encountered in developing countries. This occurrence is attributed to a lack of effective regulation and a weak enforcement capacity existing in these countries, with an increase in this trade resulting from the growing size and sophistication of drug counterfeiters. In addition, due to both cost and lack of availability of medicines, consumers in developing countries are more likely to seek out these inexpensive options.”
“ Product counterfeiting is increasing worldwide, both in terms of the volume, level of sophistication, and in the number the countries affected, both in the developed and developing world. Despite the diversity of products counterfeited, counterfeiters are often referred to as a homogeneous group. Staake et al1 have however classified counterfeiters into five groups: 1) disaggregators; 2) imitators; 3) fraudsters; 4) desperados; and 5) smugglers, to better address the issue of counterfeiting in the market. These groups were classified according to the visual and functional quality of the counterfeit products, in addition to product complexity.”
Counterfeit drugs and medical devices in developing countries – PMC (nih.gov)
Branded vs. Generic: Know the Difference
“When a new medicine is released, it’s patented and sold under a brand name. When that patent expires, generic versions of the drug may be sold by other companies. These differ in minor ways from the branded version but must have similar efficacy.”
“ Branded drugs are more expensive because they’re newer, generally groundbreaking, and often for conditions that are difficult to treat. However, after a certain period of time, these same innovative medicines become generic medicines.”
“ How is Pfizer Different? The difference between our approach and that of many other companies is that when a medicine becomes a generic, we still assume responsibility. Rather than focus on just what’s in development, we continue to closely monitor the quality, safety, and reliability of our generic medicines.”
https://www.pfizer.com/products/how-drugs-are-made/branded-versus-generics
“ What are generic drugs?
A generic drug is a medication created to be the same as an already marketed brand-name drug in dosage form, safety, strength, route of administration, quality, performance characteristics, and intended use. These similarities help to demonstrate bioequivalence, which means that a generic medicine works in the same way and provides the same clinical benefit as the brand-name medicine. In other words, you can take a generic medicine as an equal substitute for its brand-name counterpart.”
“ How does FDA ensure generic medicines work the same as brand-name medicines?
Any generic medicine must perform the same in the body as the brand-name medicine. It must be the same as a brand-name medicine in dosage, form and route of administration, safety, effectiveness, strength, and labeling (with certain limited exceptions). It must also meet the same high standards of quality and manufacturing as the brand-name product, and it must be and quality, taken and used in the same way as well. This standard applies to all generic medicines.
Generic medicines use the same active ingredients as brand-name medicines and work the same way, so they have the same risks and benefits as the brand-name medicines. The FDA Generic Drugs Program conducts a rigorous review to ensure generic medicines meet these standards, in addition to conducting inspections of manufacturing plants and monitoring drug safety after the generic medicine has been approved and brought to market.
A generic drug may have certain minor differences from the brand-name product, such as different inactive ingredients.
It is important to note that there will always be a slight, but not medically significant, level of expected variability—just as there is for one batch of brand-name medicine compared with the next batch of brand-name product. This variability can and does occur during manufacturing, for both brand-name and generic medicines. When a medicine, generic or brand-name, is mass produced, very small variations in purity, size, strength, and other parameters are permitted. FDA limits how much variability is acceptable.
For example, a very large research study comparing generics with brand-name medicines, found that there were very small differences (approximately 3.5%) in absorption into the body between generic and brand-name medicines. Some generics were absorbed slightly more, some slightly less. This amount of difference is expected and clinically acceptable, whether for one batch of brand-name medicine tested against another batch of the same brand, or for a generic tested against a brand-name medicine. “
“ Why does a generic drug look different from the brand drug?
Trademark laws in the United States do not allow a generic drug to look exactly like other drugs already on the market. Generic medicines and brand-name medicines share the same active ingredient, but other characteristics, such as colors and flavorings, that do not affect the performance, safety, or effectiveness of the generic medicine, may be different.”
“ Why do generic medicines often cost less than the brand-name medicines?
Generic drugs are approved only after a rigorous review by FDA and after a set period of time that the brand product has been on the market exclusively. This is because new drugs, like other new products, are usually protected by patents that prohibit others from making and selling copies of the same drug.
Generic drugs tend to cost less than their brand-name counterparts because generic drug applicants do not have to repeat animal and clinical (human) studies that were required of the brand-name medicines to demonstrate safety and effectiveness. This abbreviated pathway is why the application is called an “abbreviated new drug application.”
The reduction in upfront research costs means that, although generic medicines have the same therapeutic effect as their branded counterparts, they are typically sold at substantial discounts, an estimated 80 to 85% less, compared with the price of the brand-name medicine. According to the IMS Health Institute, generic drugs saved the U.S. healthcare system nearly $2.2 trillion from 2009 to 2019.”
https://www.fda.gov/drugs/frequently-asked-questions-popular-topics/generic-drugs-questions-answers
https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cder/daf/
https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cder/ob/index.cfm
https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/amp/article/generic-medicines-vs-brand-name-medicines
“ Key facts
Generic medicines have the same active ingredient as brand-name medicines and work in the same way but may look different and contain different non-active ingredients.
Generic alternatives are often cheaper than brand-name medicines. This is because the company that produces the medicine did not need to invest money in developing and marketing it.
In Australia, you can only sell generic medicines if they work the same way as the brand-name medicine.
Prescribers in Australia must include the name of the active ingredient on prescriptions. This can help you know exactly what you are taking and avoid mistakes.”
GUYANA should follow the “patient friendly” AUSTRALIAN MODEL “ active ingredient prescribing” for ALL PRESCRIPTIONS, with heavy penalties and mandatory jail time to manufacturers, distributors, suppliers, and representatives, for violations.
AUSTRALIA. What is active ingredient prescribing?
“All Australian health professionals who prescribe medicines must write a medicine’s active ingredient on the prescription. If your prescriber would like to include a brand-name on your prescription, they can add it after the active ingredient.
Active ingredient prescribing makes it easier for you to identify different medicines that may contain the same ingredient. This will help you to: avoid accidental double-dosing; avoid taking a medicine that you’re allergic to; check that it is safe to combine the medicine with another medicine; and identify suitable alternatives if you need to buy your medicines when you are overseas.”
How To Identify Fake Medicines
https://www.pfizer.com/news/articles/how_to_identify_fake_medicines
“Every morning, as you greet the day and shake your prescribed medicine into your hand, you’re trusting that they’re authentic. Worldwide, though, counterfeit medications are more common than some might think.
Studies show approximately 10-40% of medicines sold in low- and middle-income countries are counterfeit. In the United States, less than 1% of medicines sold in retail pharmacies are counterfeit.
By that comparison, the chances of your medication being fake are small, but there’s still a risk. You can make the best-informed decisions about your health, by knowing what fake medicines are, how to identify fake medicines, and how to choose a reliable pharmacy.”
“ How To Check and Identify Fake Medicines
“In a side-by-side comparison, it can be difficult to tell the difference between a counterfeit and real medication. In fact, according to Amy Callanan, a Global Intelligence Lead, Pfizer Global Security, there’s only one way to be sure.
“It really takes laboratory testing to confirm 100% if a medication is authentic or counterfeit,” she says. “But there are ‘tells’ customers can look for, which may or may not be present. It’s important to know the absence of these signs doesn’t mean the medication is authentic — it just means those particular tells aren’t there. Although these indicators won’t be present with every counterfeit, Callanan advises patients to be on the lookout for:”
Spelling errors. Misspellings of the product name, manufacturer, or main ingredients on medicine bottle labels or other packaging are the biggest, and some of the most noticeable, mistakes. Medication appearance. Your medication could change size and shape, and any sudden differences between refills should give you pause. Call your doctor or pharmacy to confirm any changes.
Medication quality. Legitimate pills will always have a factory-made appearance. If your tablets are cracked, have a bubbled-up coating, or are crumbly, take notice. Moldy pills or jars containing excess powder or crystals should also be considered suspicious.
Compromised packaging. Medication that comes in the original manufacturer packaging should be sealed. If it’s open, appears tampered with, or just doesn’t look right, it’s worth checking with the pharmacist.
“Reputable pharmaceutical companies make a really high-quality product that’s going to stand up to travel and storage,” Callanan says. “As long as it hasn’t undergone some horrible torture like being left on the car dashboard for three weeks in the middle of July, it should look the same at least until its expiration date.”
“ So, You Think Your Drug Is Counterfeit—Now What?
“If you suspect your medication is fake, most importantly, don’t take it. Call your doctor and pharmacy to let them know and ask about your next steps.
Reach out to the pharmaceutical manufacturer, as well. They have records of each drug batch they produce. If yours doesn’t fall in line with their records, they will know. Company representatives can also tell you how to properly dispose of counterfeits. You can search the Buy Safely site for official drug disposal locations, too.
“It’s possible the company may be able to identify your meds as counterfeit over the phone. It may be a known counterfeit lot number,” Callanan says. “Pharmaceutical companies keep track of complaints and accumulate data on counterfeits. Sometimes the counterfeit product will have a lot number that is not a real lot number and if you call in with a product that has a certain lot number, they might be able tell you if your meds are counterfeit.”
There is one more step you should take. The FDA keeps track of fake medicines that find their way into the U.S. drug pipeline. The agency relies on patients, providers, and pharmacies to voluntarily share information about counterfeit or suspected counterfeit medication. To report fake pharmaceuticals, visit the MedWatch site.
Ultimately, as long as you buy your prescriptions from a brick-and-mortar or reliable online pharmacy, you can be confident your medication is authentic. Still, knowing how to identify fake medicines can keep you and your loved ones safe in the long run.”
My Hope, Wish and Prediction for Guyana, IS, for an INFLUENCER CHANGE from Washington, SOON, for “ a National Unity/Shared Governance, with CIVIL SOCIETY, and MORE reasonable Royalties from ExxonMobil.” All Globally, know, During May/June/July 2020 USA was THE Heavy Influencer for the PPP Government’s installation on August 2, 2020.
Onward & Upward towards “One People, One Nation, One Destiny.”
