The National Institute for Food and Drug Surveillance (Invima) has issued a health alert for the falsification of a medicine for flu symptoms from Dolex brand. Specifically, these are the tablets that are marked as part of batch 4U6K with an expiration date “03/2026.” Until the date of publication of this text, on October 15, the authorities had no information about the real content of the adulterated pills, nor details about their traceability or storage and transportation conditions, which is why they represent a risk for the people’s health.
Haleon Colombia, the company authorized to import and sell the medicine, has denied knowing about that batch, whose origin is unknown.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that one in 10 medicines in low- and middle-income countries is counterfeit or of substandard quality. In a 2018 reportThe international organization indicated that “some substandard and falsified medical products are toxic in nature because they contain lethal concentrations of incorrect active ingredients or other toxic chemicals.” In the world, antimalarials and antibiotics are the most frequently counterfeited medical products.
How to identify fake Dolex
The Colombian health authority has explained that there are obvious differences between the original and the counterfeit product, in addition to the batch and expiration date, such as:
- Differences in color and gloss of packaging materials compared to the original product
- Layout different from the original product
- Font and size of texts different from the original product
- Sealing finishes different from the original product
- Expiration date different from the original product
- The art of labels has a difference in terms of its typography, colors, and content.
- The tablet has physical differences compared to the original product
Invima has recommended suspending the use of this product immediately and notifying the health authorities in the following link or via email [email protected]. The Government of Colombia has a service that allows citizens to verify that the registration of medicines is current and authentic. In the next pageselecting as a group the type of product (medicine, dietary supplement or whatever corresponds), choosing from the search options by product name, health registration or active ingredient.
