DOHA: A number of doctors and health experts have warned people against buying fake medicines that being marketed and sold through social media forums such as Facebook, Twitter or WhatsApp.
They suggested that consuming such unknown medicine, which do not have any international approval or certification from competent authorities, can be as fatal as poison.
“Most of these unverified medicines that are promoted on various platforms, including social media are not safe,” Dr Ibrahim Ahmed Al Janahi, Director of Research Centre at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), was quoted as saying by a local Arabic daily yesterday.
Dr Al Janahi said: “Most of such promotional campaigns of such medicines (many of them using short videos) are claiming to provide ultimate solutions for several problems, including some chronic diseases, have not gone through needful scientific processes. They are just doing business and making money at the cost the patient’s health and life.”
He said that promoters of such medicines are using people as guinea pigs that researchers use in laboratories for experiment.
The report said that majority of the victims who are buying these medicines are people suffering from chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, blood pressure and reproductivity related problems.
He also warned patients not to take such medicines which have not been experimented or gone through the mandatory scientific processes.
“Every new medicine goes through different channels and stringent trials that are also announced through credible international media, including science magazines. They do not just enter social media for marketing,” said Dr Al Janahi.
Another expert, Dr Abdullah Al Hamaq, Executive Director at Qatar Diabetes Association, said: “There is a proper channel for any new medicine to enter any new market, including the Qatari market.”
Citing an example he said that there is a latest discovery of oral medicine—insulin inhalers— for diabetic patients that substitute the painful insulin injections that people currently are compelled to take.
The medicine is already available in European markets. We are expecting that the company will complete the needful process to introduce the product in the Qatari market soon.
According to Dr Al Hamaq, the patients instead of taking injection will have to take oral doses just half-an hour before meal.
According to data available the percentage of diabetic patients in Qatar is nearly 16.7 percent, which is considered to be very high. A research conducted during 2006 to 2011 suggested that the percentage was likely to increase further over the years due to people’s food and lifestyle.
Dr Mahmoud Ali Zirie, Senior Consultant and Head of HMC’s Endocrinology, Diabetes Division, said: “Advertisement of such medicines that are being sold in the forms of tablet and injection through new media has no scientific accreditation.
“No one knows the sources of such medicines. They are just doing commerce jeopardizing people’s health.”
Yet another expert, Dr Abul Elaah Al Adimi, Medical Director and Consultant for kidney and urinary tract surgery at Al Emadi Hospital: “Such medicine may cause serious impact to the health of consumers as they are not accredited or scientifically proved medicines.”
The Peninsula
