The Indonesian Anti-Counterfeiting Society (MIAP), the Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) and the US Embassy have stepped up efforts to raise awareness about the dangers of counterfeit medicine and cosmetics
he Indonesian Anti-Counterfeiting Society (MIAP), theFood and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) and the US Embassy have stepped upefforts to raise awareness about the dangers of counterfeit medicine andcosmetics.
MIAP chairperson Widyaretna Buenastuti said such awareness was very important to stop the distribution of fake drugs and cosmetics as it could reduce the demand.
'When we reduce the demand, we automatically reduce the distribution as the producers stop producing them. This is what we will be doing so that fake products will have no place in the country,' Widyaretna said.
BPOM chairman Roy Sparringa said he supported the MIAP campaign, since counterfeit drugs and cosmetics could be harmful to health and could result in death.
'We have conducted a number of operations against the products, including shutting down 129 websites selling fake medicine worth Rp 5.4 billion [US$464,400] last year and an operation in Jakarta and other locations where malaria is endemic, such as Papua and East Nusa Tenggara, to stop the distribution of counterfeit malaria drugs,' Roy said.
US Ambassador Robert Blake said the campaign could also help protect intellectual property rights.
Blake said that the US government and Indonesia had the same view on the issue as both nations were concerned with providing access to safe and original medicine.
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