Abstract

The study was carried out on the relationship between fake drugs and peoples’ perception of health care delivery system in Onitsha. The illicit trade in fake antimalarial drugs is a major setback to the fight against malaria. Information on public awareness and ability to identify fake drugs is scanty. Therefore, the present study aimed at assessing public awareness and the ability to identify counterfeit antimalarial drugs based on simple observations such as appearance of the drugs, packaging, labelling ,and leaflets. A cross-sectional study was conducted using interviewer administered structured questionnaire and a checklist. Respondents were required to spot the difference between genuine and counterfeit antimalarial drugs given to them. Data was analysed using SPSS version20. The majority of respondents, 163 (55.6%), were able to distinguish between genuine and counterfeit antimalarial drugs. Respondents with knowledge on health effects of fake drugs were more likely to identify genuine and fake drugs than their counterparts (

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