Pharmaceuticals in China

An article was published today concerning a problem that is not frequently talked about in the US when it comes to China. We have all heard and read the stories of toys made in China containing a higher level of lead than accepted by the US, however, another deadly product produced in China, investigators say, is pharmaceuticals. An investigation into Artesunate, an antimalrial drug, resulted in finding fake versions of the medication traced back to China. This is very dangerous for several reasons. Malaria is known to kill more than one million people a year. With the counterfeit drug, a stronger tolerance can be built against the real form of Artesunate, making the real drug unable to fight malaria, leading to more deaths. The major concern, however, is the fact that the investigation revealed over a dozen unlicensed factories able to produce pharmaceutical drugs or run chemical plants in China. This is beyond dangerous, because in the case of the antimalarial drug, individuals were selling a counterfeit drug in order to make a profit, without considering the lives of others. This group of individuals were caught, but what happens when fake drugs are able to "pass the test" as an original drug? Because there are no requirements or enforcements on these chemical plants, many lives are at risk. People trust that the pharmaceutical drugs prescribed to them will heal them, not kill them, but yet we cannot be sure anymore.