How You Can Identify Authentic Product in Healthcare Industry?

 

 

 

Healthcare is an evergreen industry, and owing to the rapid advances in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases, increasing health standards and a rising awareness among health conscious people in general, the industry is only going to grow and prosper with time. However, as with any other industry, the healthcare industry as well as the products that form a part of it faces certain challenges of their own. Counterfeiting forms a major part of these.

 

Fake Healthcare Products

It is important for us to be able to tell whether the product being bought is in fact the same that we decide for buying. Come to think about it, there are so many things that could possibly go wrong, just in case the product is not quite authentic. This becomes a major matter of concern when it is directly associated with our health.

 

The Hazards

  • A fake product’s composition could contain negligible or no active ingredients at all.
  • Or there might be presence of some rather harmful or toxic chemicals which, leave aside curing, could cause potential harm to us, whether we use them topically or orally.
  • They could even put our life at risk by keeping us from using the medicines or products actually meant to treat our condition
  • And in this case, our health only tends to get worse with time.

 

The Need For Authentication

The prospects, however, are not as bad as they might seem, only if we as a consumer are a little more aware and alert. There are so many things which could tell us and actually assure about the very authenticity of the product. While we make sure to check for the date of expiry along with the price as mentioned on the product, we must also take a look at a few other things before buying the same.

 

 

Look Out For Verifications

These include –

  • The name of the pharmaceutical company that has manufactured the product. If you do not happen to have heard the name of the company that is mentioned, you can look it up on the Internet to learn about it.
  • Also, the packaging should mention the exact as well as the entire address of the manufacturer.
  • The hologram, usually present in the form of a sticker, is another object which ensures the genuineness of the healthcare product. The hologram could be present either on the product box or even on the label.
  • Apart from stickers, it could also be there in the form of labels, hot-stamped patches, seals or even blister-pack foils.
  • This diffractive, optically-variable feature goes a long way in effectively protecting the healthcare products again possible counterfeiting and maintaining the authenticity.
  • Certifications from various health and / or drug regulatory authorities also help in identifying and authenticating medications and other healthcare products.
  • The Drug Technical Advisory Board, for example, has come up with the presence of a unique alphanumeric code right on the packaging of the product.
  • We can quickly and easily learn about the genuineness of the product by sending this code as a message to a particular number.
  • Besides, API manufacturing certificates from various other regulatory bodies such as USFDA, ISO, HACCP etc. could also be present right on the packaging.

Care Is Needed

The sale of fake medicines, especially the general purpose or the over the counter ones, is on rise all over the world. Mislabelling these products in a deliberate fraudulent manner is another practice which is fast becoming prominent. People are making billions of dollars out of it, without thinking about the serious health repercussions it could have on the user.  Therefore, the next time you make a purchase, make sure to carry out these quick few steps of visual inspection as mentioned above, both, on the primary as well as the secondary packaging.

 

Besides..

  • You need to make sure to buy your healthcare essentials only from registered and reputed pharmacies.
  • Also, as far as possible, try using only prescribed medicines and not over the counter ones.
  • Avoid being lured by the medicine sellers into buying medicines that are similar but just not the same.
  • In case of bottled containers, the security seal should be intact so as to ensure that it has not been tampered with.

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About the Author:

Dr Sonica Krishan is Author and Speaker in the areas of Healthy and Joyous Living through Ayurveda, Meditation, Yoga and other Contemplative practices. She is a leading Ayurveda Professional in India. She is also Health Writer, Columnist, Editor, Ayurveda Consultant and Holistic Healing Coach. Dr Sonica is open for National as well as International Collaborations with interested people / institutions in fields of Ayurveda, Meditation and Yoga.

Dr Sonica Krishan’s Books are available at Amazon

 

 

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