What this covers
Counterfeit and substandard medicines are a global public-health problem, ranging from products with no active ingredient to dangerous look-alikes. Buying from licensed, registered pharmacies and checking packaging integrity are the most reliable protections.
Safe-use guidance
- Always buy medicines from licensed pharmacies or registered online dispensaries — not from market stalls, hawkers, or unverified sellers.
- Check that the medicine carries a registration or authorisation number from the relevant national regulator (e.g. FDA, MHRA, EMA, Health Canada) before purchase.
- Inspect packaging quality: blurry print, spelling errors, missing leaflets, broken seals, and inconsistent batch numbers or expiry dates between the carton and blister are warning signs.
- Be suspicious of prices far below the normal market rate — genuine medicines have manufacturing and quality-control costs.
- Compare new packs with your previous ones for medicines you take regularly; report suspected fakes to your national medicines regulatory authority.
Cautions
- Fake antimalarials and antibiotics not only fail the patient — they breed resistance that endangers everyone.
- No single check is foolproof; combine checks (regulator database, packaging, trusted source) rather than relying on one.
- Injectables and infusions from unverified sources carry the highest risk of contamination.
- Grey-import medicines that have bypassed regulated distribution channels may not meet the quality standards of the destination country.
How iHealix helps
Every medicine iHealix delivers comes from licensed, verified pharmacy partners with traceable sourcing — so the question of whether your medicine is genuine is answered before it reaches your hands.
Prescription medicines always require an in-app consultation with a licensed doctor first — the e-prescription then goes straight to a licensed partner pharmacy for dispensing and delivery.