Experts call today for international action to tackle the trade in fake drugs.
The global trade is killing hundreds of people, according to a report in the British Medical Journal.
Experts from the World Federation of Public Health Associations, International Pharmaceutical Federation and the International Council of Nurses have worked together to make the case ahead of crucial summit of the World Health Organisation.
In the USA recently contaminated steroid drugs caused an outbreak of meningitis.
And a heart medicine used in Pakistan contained a toxic dose of a malaria drug – leading to 125 deaths.
As many as 10% of drugs may be counterfeit in poor countries – while European Union countries increased seizure rates by eight times last year.
The campaigners want the kind of global treaty that has been used to crack down on human trafficking and money laundering.
They write: "We argue that tackling the challenges of poor quality, unsafe medicines requires a comprehensive global strategy on which all stakeholders agree."
BMJ November 14 2012; 345 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmj.e7381
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