Chemicals and Drugs

Counterfeit Drugs

Fake medicine that may be contaminated or contain the wrong or no active ingredient, or the correct active ingredient at the wrong dose. Counterfeit drugs are illegal and may be harmful to health.

National Library of MedicineMedical Subject Headings2026

Structured Summary

Abstract

Fake medicine that may be contaminated or contain the wrong or no active ingredient, or the correct active ingredient at the wrong dose. Counterfeit drugs are illegal and may be harmful to health.

MeSH Record

Classification

Broader headings

Related Concepts

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MeSH Record

Synonyms

19 entry terms
  • Counterfeit Drug
  • Counterfeit Medicine
  • Counterfeit Medicines
  • Drug, Counterfeit
  • Drugs, Counterfeit
  • Medicine, Counterfeit
  • Medicines, Counterfeit
  • Fake Drug
  • Fake Drugs
  • Falsified Drug
  • Falsified Drugs
  • Falsified Medicine
  • Falsified Medicines
  • Drug, Fake
  • Drug, Falsified
  • Drugs, Fake
  • Drugs, Falsified
  • Medicine, Falsified
  • Medicines, Falsified

MeSH Record

Aspects Covered

20 allowable subheadings

Indexed with the subheadings administration & dosage, adverse effects, analysis, blood, cerebrospinal fluid, chemical synthesis, chemistry, classification, economics, history, isolation & purification, metabolism, pharmacokinetics, pharmacology, poisoning, radiation effects, supply & distribution, therapeutic use, toxicity, urine.

MeSH Record

Indexing Annotation

DRUG COUNTERFEITING see FRAUD is available

MeSH Record

History Note

2011

MeSH Record

Previous Indexing

  • Pharmaceutical Preparations (1998-2010)

MeSH Hierarchy

Tree Number

  1. D26.894.500w

MeSH Record

NLM Classification

QV 773

AMA Style

References

  1. National Library of Medicine. Counterfeit Drugs. Medical Subject Headings (MeSH). 2026. Unique ID D058110. http://id.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/2026/D058110
  2. Counterfeit Drugs. In: Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Counterfeit_medication
  3. Counterfeit Drugs. In: Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3140895