As a nationally recognized interventional spine and pain management physician, Dr. Jay Joshi of National Pain Centers wears many different hats. One of his greatest responsibilities and professional endeavors was his creation of an accredited CME series on counterfeit medicine. Dr. Jay Joshi of National Pain Centers has been a vocal leader on the importance of understanding the efficacy and side effects of medications to ensure that people can have clear guidance on what the best medicine is for their unique symptoms.
When it comes to counterfeit medicine, studies have shown that 36 million Americans purchase drugs without a valid prescription. Most of these sales are conducted online and can lead to serious health issues. Even more shocking is that patients with valid scripts may be receiving counterfeit medications from their pharmacy. Counterfeit medications can be extremely profitable for the seller. There is a growing demand for medicine and with things like the Covid-19 pandemic, people are looking for wonder drugs that will help keep themselves and their families safe. Dr. Jay Joshi of the National Pain Centers implores the public to be more cognizant of the source of the medications that take, which can be a challenging feat. Even lifestyle medications that can seem less likely to cause harm can be counterfeit, which can lead to serious health issues.
Combating counterfeit medicine can be done in several ways. The first is spreading awareness and being an advocate for various regulations within the United States. Additionally, Dr. Jay Joshi of the National Pain Center believes it is important for people to be educated from an early age the dangers of taking medicine that is not prescribed or taking more than what is prescribed by a physician. The next thing people can do is elect public officials who will make it a priority to enforce anti-counterfeiting rules and regulations. Besides the obvious safety issues with counterfeit medications, there are societal issues that can arise. Counterfeit medications that do not provide a negative or positive impact will create an element of doubt surrounding the effectiveness of the real medication in the public consciousness. It is important that people do not lose faith in the medical industry, especially the legitimate providers and legitimate treatments. While Dr. Jay Joshi understands that slowing down the availability of counterfeit medicine in America is a great undertaking, he does believe that it is a very worth endeavor.