Description:
Medicine counterfeiting is a growing problem and has been repeatedly reported to flourish
elsewhere in the world including Tanzania. This paper provides an analysis of consumer
awareness and responses towards counterfeit medicines in Tanzania by comparing the 2008 study to 2015 study. Both studies adopted a cross-sectional research design using a
questionnaire to collect data from 100 consumers in Dar es Salaam region who were selected using quota sampling technique. Descriptive analysis was employed to analyse data. Results from both studies consistently show that majority of the consumers are aware of the existence of counterfeit medicines in Tanzania. The 2008 study indicates out 57.6% of consumers who had encountered counterfeit medicines, only 3.5% of them reported to the police. Similarly, in the 2015 study, it was further revealed that the majority of consumers who encountered counterfeit medicines took no any action other than throwing the medicine or telling the pharmacist. This may suggest that consumers in Tanzania have not significantly adopted measures to shield themselves from counterfeit medications. The studies consistently conclude that consumers lack awareness and understanding of how and where to report cases of counterfeit medicines. This paper recommends that the Tanzania Foods and Drugs Authority (TFDA) and other governmental authorities should establish partnership with NonGovernment Organizations (NGOs) to jointly create and disseminate educational messages on counterfeit medicines.