Anti-retroviral (ARV) rationing schemes in developing countries: a review article on strategies and ethical issues related to the successes and failures of ARV programmes

Abstract

When a patient receives a counterfeit drug, he/she becomes a victim of fraud medicine and is put at risk of developing adverse effects from unwanted medication that is not prescribed. These individuals health also becomes compromised because they are cheated of both successful treatment regimens and economically. Indeed counterfeit drugs pose many threats to society; not only to the individual in terms of the health side effects experienced, but also to the public in terms of trade relations, economic implications, and the effects on global pandemics. Apart from the pharmaceutical aspect in producing substandard drugs, there area also climatic or environmental factors as well as patients and economic factors. All these need to be addressed when considering any proper rationing strategy for antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) in sub-Saharan countries. Short of that, there is a great danger that the shelf life of ARV will be soon lost and once resistance comes in we will be in big problems.