The Pharmacy and Poisons Board has warned Kenyans about a falsified batch of Postinor 2 emergency contraceptive tablets, identified as levonorgestrel 0.75mg, batch number T34197R, after the medicine was detected in the Kenyan market.
The regulator said the fake medicine was being passed off as genuine Postinor 2 and could contain the wrong amount of the active ingredient, no active ingredient, harmful contaminants or undeclared substances.
“The falsified product was found in circulation in the Kenyan market,” the Board said.
The alert followed post marketing surveillance by the regulator to monitor medicines and other health products available in the country.
How to identify the fake pills
The Board said its comparison of the suspected falsified product with genuine Postinor 2 packs revealed several differences.
These included the method used to print the batch details, errors in printing and typography on the Patient Information Leaflet, and differences in the way the carton was sealed.
The regulator also noted that the orange colour used on the brand name and other parts of the packaging was significantly more intense on the falsified product.
Another difference was found on the authentication panel.
According to the Board, the font of the logo revealed after scratching the authentication panel was different from that used on genuine packs.
The differences, the regulator said, indicated that batch T34197R had not been manufactured or released as a genuine product.
Two people arrested
The Board said two people had been arrested after they were found in possession of the falsified medicine.
Investigations are continuing to establish where the products originated, how they entered Kenya and how widely they may have been distributed.
The regulator warned that taking falsified medicine could expose users to serious health risks while also failing to provide the intended treatment.
It urged healthcare professionals to verify the authenticity of medicines before dispensing them and to quarantine any suspected falsified products.
Hospitals, distributors, pharmacists, pharmaceutical technologists, procurement agencies and members of the public have also been asked to report any encounter with batch T34197R.
The Board further advised stakeholders to obtain medicines only from licensed manufacturers, importers, distributors and retailers.
“Procuring from unlicensed sources endangers patients and constitutes a violation of the Pharmacy and Poisons Act, Cap 244 of the Laws of Kenya,” the regulator said.
The Board said it would continue taking regulatory and legal action against individuals involved in the manufacture, importation, distribution or sale of falsified health products in Kenya.
