Preah Vihear shuts down unregistered, illegal pharmacies

THE Preah Vihear Provincial Department of Health is conducting a campaign to eliminate the trade in counterfeit pharmaceutical products.

In a bid to protect the wellbeing of consumers, they have begun by banning unregistered mobile pharmacies and are asking unlicensed pharmacists to sign contracts agreeing to cease the practice.

Kuong Lo, director of the department, said last week that the ban applies to all unlicensed traders. Some of the medicines on sale include traditional medicines, medicinal oils, liniments and even fake balm cooling patches. Many of the items were being marketed through the use of deceptive practices.

“As the authorities, we have to stop this dangerous trade. There is no single medicine that can cure all diseases as claimed. Others are selling traditional medicines to consumers who do not know about the ingredients or possible side effects. These products could be very dangerous if people use them,” he said.

He explained that if a vendor had a permit to advertise and sell medicines, the health department would not interfere with their business. Despite this, he recommended that people obtain their medication from health centres, hospitals or licensed pharmacies, as per doctor’s prescription.

“People must avoid buying medicines sold on the street because they could make an illness worse. If they are unwell, the best course of action is to visit a health clinic or hospital,” he said.

He added that the department is also inspecting licensed pharmacies throughout the province, while vetting applicants who want to open a new business.

Nuth Sambath, president of the Institute of Medicine, Biology and Agriculture at the Royal Academy of Cambodia, said that for as long as he could remember, he had been seeing illegal advertisements for traditional medicines and other pharmaceutical products.

In many cases, the products are advertised with games, or even circus performers, to attract people.

“People should avoid buying medication on the street because no one recognises them and they are often expired. They could be harmful to the users’ health; people should shop at registered pharmacies, where all products are clearly labelled,” he said.

“The use of counterfeit medicine can have serious consequences. It could damage a person’s health, or even make their condition worse, requiring even more time and money to treat,” he added.