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ACP Anthony McLaughlin and Dr. Ernestine Watson
Assistant Commissioner Dr. Anthony McLaughlin, Commanding Officer for the JCF's Counter-Terrorism & Organized Crime Investigation Branch, is warning Jamaicans against purchasing drugs being advertised on social media and outside legitimate channels such as registered dispensaries.
While acknowledging that the high price of medication is an important consideration, ACP McLaughlin, speaking Friday on Radio Jamaica's Beyond the Headlines, cautionedd that "when you cannot verify the source, and the price is too cheap to be true, then that should send a red flag."
He conceded that it is oftenn difficult for the authorities to crack down on those peddling these drugs illegally, explaining that "when we see them on Instagram, by the time we try to even carry out the investigation, those pages (have been) taken down."
Dr. Ernestine Watson, Chair of the Pharmacy Council of Jamaica, also speaking on Beyond the Headlines, warned that patients have died after consuming a contaminated drug.
She said the illicit trade in drugs increases the risks of false medications entering the health system.
She cited examples of persons taking contaminated blood thinners, which led to their death.
"Having an illicit trade in... pharmaceuticals; it increases the risk of counterfeit or false medicines or substandard medications to enter into the system and therefore cause serious damage," she warned.
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