1998 - 1999: Counterfeit Antimicrobials in Latin America

In 1998/1999, NGO-based community health centers in Bolivia fell victim to counterfeit ampicillin capsules sailing under the brand of a highly reputable medicines relief organisation from Germany. Easily identifiable by visual inspection, later assays confirmed that the product was 80% low in content and surely fatal to any patient suffering a severe bacterial infection. Counterfeit product identified through visual inspection by its a) low weight, b) smaller pack size c) poor label print, d) missing logo and e) wrong format of expiry date.

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