A St Lucian pharmacist is calling on residents to exercise caution about where they purchase their medications, warning that counterfeit drugs and escalating prices represent a growing threat to public health.
According to Antigua Observer, veteran pharmacist Abraham Weekes made the remarks during an appearance on Observer AM, where he revealed that roughly one in 10 medications in developing countries is either substandard or counterfeit.
Weekes cautioned that the combination of fake medicines entering the supply chain and the rising cost of legitimate pharmaceuticals is placing lives at risk, particularly among those who may be driven to seek cheaper, unverified alternatives.
The warning carries relevance across the Caribbean region, where residents in smaller island nations often face limited access to regulated pharmaceutical sources and may be more vulnerable to counterfeit products circulating in informal markets.
