IT SEEMS like a good idea: save the money you would have spent on anti-malaria drugs for your journey through Asia or Africa and buy them cheaply overseas during the trip. It’s a scenario Travelvax Australia’s doctors and nurses have heard scores of times over the years.

The problem is these budget-conscious travellers may be risking a potentially life-threatening bout of malaria by taking ineffective and potentially harmful counterfeit medication for sale in marketplaces in developing countries, according to Travelvax Australia’s Medical Director, Dr Eddy Bajrovic.

“The counterfeit drug trade is big business and the evidence is clear that major drug syndicates are involved,” Dr Bajrovic said.“It is easy for them to make drugs that have little or no active ingredient and these fakes are increasingly being made and packaged to look authentic. Travellers, especially young and inexperienced backpackers, who are looking to save money are fooled into thinking they are purchasing the real thing. “In reality, besides offering little or no protection, some counterfeit drugs have been found to contain harmful toxic ingredients.”

Drug counterfeiting is a global phenomenon. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that up to 30% of medicines sold in developing countries may be counterfeit, but the real figure could be even higher. While chemical analysis in a laboratory is only way to really know if a drug is real or not, there are signs to look for to help tourists spot the fakes. Counterfeit tablets may have a strange smell, taste or color, be brittle, come in equally fake-looking packaging and, of course, are a fraction of the drug’s normal price.

“Any drug purchased outside a recognized pharmacy could be counterfeit, Dr Bajrovic said. “However, anti-malaria drugs are a particular favourite with counterfeiters, especially in countries where malaria is a major health risk. These people target young foreign travellers whose only mistake was to try to save money.”

In addition, experts believe anti-malaria drugs containing suboptimal amounts of active ingredients, such as artesunate, are contributing to the development of resistant strains of the disease in Southeast Asia, particularly in the Thailand – Cambodia border regions. “Fake anti-malarials with little actual medicine may contain just enough active ingredients to allow malaria parasites to develop resistance, without actually killing them,” Dr Bajrovic said.
“This only contributes to the growing problem of drug-resistant malaria for travellers and locals alike.” There are legitimate reasons to buy legal drugs overseas: the traveller realised the risks only after their arrival or they ran out of medication because they extended their stay. However, only reputable pharmacies should be used and traveller should inquire if they have a proper license.

Travelvax Australia has this advice for Australians travelling overseas:

• Keep a copy of your prescriptions (make a note of the brand or generic name and manufacturer of your regular medicine or that which is prescribed for your trip (ie malaria medicines).
• Avoid buying medicine in open markets. Buy it only from licensed pharmacies and get a receipt.
• Have the pharmacist check that the drug has the same active ingredient as the one that you were taking.
• Ensure that the medicine is in its original packaging.
• Look closely at the packaging. Dodgy packaging with poor-quality printing is a tell-tale sign