fullscreen

eFinder

eFinder

Home › Public Health Risk › Article

Fake medicines: how regulators are trying to fix the problem in SA

Sowetan · 🇿🇦 public South Africa · · 1197 words · By Elna Schütz
Public Health Risk Pharmaceutical Regulation Healthcare Accessibility
headphones Listen to the eFinder podcast briefing
Generate a natural audio summary of this story
Daily briefing

What to know about Public Health Risk

By Elna Schütz From unregulated weight loss injections to unsafe pain tablets, substandard and falsified medical products pose a threat to the health of people.

Claims checked 11
Techniques found 1
Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center89%
Right11%

9 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

By Elna Schütz From unregulated weight loss injections to unsafe pain tablets, substandard and falsified medical products pose a threat to the health of people.

Why it matters

“I know that there is a risk, but at this point I feel that the benefits outweigh everything else,” says Anna*, who buys unregulated medicine on the black market.

Common ground

She was prescribed GLP-1 RA medicines by a doctor after being tested for insulin resistance.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/2026-05-24-fake-medicines-how-regulators-are-tryi…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 70% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 11 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

info Single Source 6
check_circle Corroborated 2
help Insufficient Evidence 2
schedule Pending 1
check_circle
Claim 1: “GLP1 RAs (Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists) medicines, sold under brand names like Ozempic and Mounjaro, are increasingly used for weight loss and to prevent and or treat diabetes.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent sources (StatPearls/NCBI, GoodRx, and a medical search result) confirm that GLP-1 receptor agonists like Ozempic are used for treating type 2 diabetes and obesity/weight loss.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Apr 14, 2025 ... Ozempic and other GLP-1 receptor agonists have gained attention for their role in treating type 2 diabetes and promoting weight loss. These ...
https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthy-aging-and-longevity/h…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — And they all belong to the same class — glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists. GLP-1 drugs work by triggering insulin release, reducing glucose ( ...
https://www.goodrx.com/classes/glp-1-agonists/glp-1-drugs-co…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Feb 29, 2024 ... Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonists are a class of medications utilized to treat type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and obesity.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK551568/
check_circle
Claim 2: “Falsified medical products deliberately misrepresent their identity, composition or source”
CORROBORATED
Three independent sources (WHO-related search result, a definitions page, and IFPMA) all provide the identical definition: falsified medical products deliberately misrepresent their identity, composition, or source.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Dec 3, 2024 ... Falsified medical products deliberately misrepresent their identity, composition or source. These products are often created and distributed ...
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/substandard…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Falsified: Medical products that deliberately/fraudulently misrepresent their identity, composition or source. On 29 May 2017 at the Seventieth World Health ...
https://www.who.int/teams/regulation-prequalification/incide…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The WHO defines falsified medicines as “medical products that deliberately/fraudulently misrepresent their identity/composition or source. Intention to ...
https://www.ifpma.org/areas-of-work/improving-health-securit…
help
Claim 3: “for the 2025/26 year, this number exceeds 570 cases”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found after searching for the specific number of non-compliance cases for the 2025/2026 period.
schedule
Claim 4: “According to the Medicines and Related Substances Act 101 of 1965, fines or prison sentences not exceeding 10 years may be prescribed.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
info
Claim 5: “Generic medicines are those that have been tested and found to be as safe and effective as originator medicines, but are generally cheaper.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The search results provided are for the general dictionary definition of 'generic' or 'generic programming' and do not address the pharmaceutical definition regarding safety, efficacy, and cost compared to originator medicines.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Generic programming, a computer programming paradigm based on method/functions or classes defined irrespective of the concrete data types used upon instantiation
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generic
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — 3 days ago · The meaning of GENERIC is relating to or characteristic of a whole group or class : general. How to use generic in a sentence.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/generic
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — GENERIC definition: 1. shared by, typical of, or relating to a whole group of similar things, rather than to any…. Learn more.
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/generic
info
Claim 6: “Substandard products are those that do not meet quality standards and specifications, often due to poor manufacturing practices or inadequate quality control.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The search results provided for this claim are completely irrelevant, discussing a Uruguayan football league (Liga AUF Uruguaya) instead of WHO medical standards.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The body operated in parallel with the official Association (AUF). After an intervention by the Uruguayan government to impose the dissolution of the FUF, in 1926 a Provisional Council ("Concejo Provi…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liga_AUF_Uruguaya
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Liga AUF Uruguaya, also known as Uruguayan Primera División, is a professional football league in Uruguay for men. There are overall 16 teams that compete for the title every year. The current holder …
https://www.sofascore.com/football/tournament/uruguay/primer…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Stay on top of the Liga AUF Uruguaya 2026 table and follow the upcoming fixtures, live scores or latest results in Uruguay with Soccerway.
https://us.soccerway.com/uruguay/liga-auf-uruguaya/
info
Claim 7: “Compounded medicines are custom formulations that may be specific to a patient, but are generally not registered by SAHPRA.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The search results confirm the existence of SAHPRA and the general issue of fake medicines in SA, but do not provide a specific definition or confirmation regarding the registration status of compounded medicines.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — 4 days ago ... ... South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA). “Commonly affected products include painkillers, antibiotics, weight-loss and ...
https://www.spotlightnsp.co.za/2026/05/20/fake-medicines-how…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — 21 hours ago ... org.za South African Sahpra For media enquiries contact: Rodgers Baloyi South African Health Products Regulatory Authority Cell: 072 432 6397 OR ...
https://www.facebook.com/HealthZA/posts/crack-down-on-unlawf…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The registration of medicine in South Africa is governed by the provisions and requirements of the. Medicines and Related Substances Control Act No. 101 of ...
https://www.sahpra.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/1d9c57d…
help
Claim 8: “the organisation received 588 reports of possible non-compliance in the 2024/2025 year.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found after searching for the specific number of non-compliance reports for SAHPRA in 2024/2025.
info
Claim 9: “the term counterfeit is no longer used by the WHO, because it refers specifically to breaches of intellectual property, like trademarks.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The search results discuss trademark infringement and counterfeiting in a general legal sense, but do not confirm that the WHO specifically stopped using the term 'counterfeit' for the reasons stated in the claim.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — May 26, 2025 ... ... use of protected trademarks, while trademark violation is a broader term. ... Trademark infringement and trademark violations are no longer ...
https://www.brandshield.com/blog/trademark-infringement/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — ... counterfeiting, i.e, copying someone's trademark or brand. There are different terms used to describe the infringement or theft of intellectual property rights.
https://iacc.org/resources/about/what-is-counterfeiting
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Counterfeit products sold online / in physical markets · Trademark infringement or unauthorized logo use · Copyright violations, such as stolen images / brand ...
https://brand-protection-congress-eu.worldbigroup.com/blogs/…
info
Claim 10: “the WHO estimates that one in 10 medicines in low- and middle-income countries are substandard or falsified”
SINGLE SOURCE
The search results provided are completely irrelevant, discussing Zillow, dictionary definitions of 'estimate', and US Census population estimates.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The leading real estate marketplace. Search millions of for-sale and rental listings, compare Zestimate® home values and connect with local professionals.
https://www.zillow.com/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Definition of estimate noun in Oxford Advanced American Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.
https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/americ…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Sep 25, 2025 · Produces estimates of the population for the United States, its states, counties, cities, and towns, as well as for the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest.html
info
Claim 11: “Commonly affected products include painkillers, antibiotics, weight-loss and sexual enhancement products, skin-lightening products, and some chronic medicines”
SINGLE SOURCE
While the provided web search results discuss painkillers generally, they do not corroborate the specific list of 'commonly affected products' in the context of substandard/falsified medicines. Only the original article context (implied by the 'Fake medicines' search result snippet) mentions this specific list.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Analgesics are conceptually distinct from anesthetics, which temporarily reduce, and in some instances eliminate, sensation, although analgesia and anesthesia are neurophysiologically overlapping and …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Analgesic
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Feb 16, 2026 · This chart categorizes different painkillers by their strength level and typical usage, providing an overview of when each type of medication is most commonly used, ranging from mild pa…
https://iytmed.com/list-of-painkillers/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Mar 23, 2026 · Prescription corticosteroids include methylprednisolone, prednisolone, and prednisone. They are known for easing swelling, redness, itching, and allergic reactions.
https://www.webmd.com/pain-management/pain-relievers
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.