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Faced with empty pharmacy shelves and an increase in cases, desperate families looking for essential Covid-19 medication in China are being pushed into shady internet marketplaces full of price gouging and fraud.
Last month, Beijing abruptly abandoned its famed zero-Covid virus control strategy, removing draconian restrictions that had sparked widespread unrest and choked the economy. A nationwide outbreak of infections was caused by the action.
Drug retailers are currently suffering from the Covid wave, which has caused individuals to buy up cold and fever medications. Many people have been compelled to buy from dubious online retailers, with no assurance that they will receive what they paid for.
Many Chinese people are sceptical of domestically produced medications because they have long had to deal with scandals involving contaminated medicine, fake clinical trials, and loose control in the medical business.
After contacting someone online who claimed to be from Hong Kong-based Ghitai Pharmaceutical in a desperate attempt to get therapy for ailing family members, Qiu, 22, told AFP she paid thousands of dollars on Covid medications that never arrived.
The person claimed they could mail some Paxlovid from the semi-autonomous city into mainland China because they had access to supplies of the medicine, which has been approved by Beijing and was created by US pharmaceutical company Pfizer.
Qiu paid 12,000 yuan ($1,740) for six boxes of Paxlovid after being directed to an elegant “official” website, according to payment data reviewed by AFP.
She was left “hurt, helpless, and incredibly upset” when the medications failed to arrive and the agent broke off contact.
It’s repulsive behaviour, Qiu said. When attempting to save someone’s life, every second matters.
Costs rise.
Ghitai said in a statement to AFP that it was aware of a false version of its website that claimed to provide Covid medicine and that instances of fraud had been reported to the authorities.
Ghitai has never provided drugs for Covid-19, and the company urges customers to use caution to prevent scams and money losses.
Limited stock on e-commerce sites has also been quickly depleted, allowing scalpers to profit.
One vendor that AFP contacted this week claimed to be charging 18,000 yuan ($2,610) for a single box, or about nine times the stated price.
They stated that the medication will be delivered from the southern city of Shenzhen, but purchasers would “had to wait.”
The salesman remained silent after an AFP journalist identified themself and asked how the tablets had been obtained.
“Despair and powerlessness”
On Monday, the public security ministry of China issued a directive to crack down on “illegal and criminal activities involving the production and distribution of counterfeit epidemic-related medications and related commodities.”
The illicit market is still a typical last resort for those like Xiao, whose elderly grandfather became ill in December, despite the dangers.
When a seller of Paxlovid on the internet sought 18,000 yuan, the business administrator, 25, was “utterly perplexed.”
When her grandfather passed away a few days later, she was unable to pay for it, and her urgency transformed into “despair and helplessness.”
I really don’t understand how some folks were able to obtain the medication, the woman stated. “Even one box is out of our price range. How are there so many?”
Since prescription drugs are practically out of reach, some people are taking a chance on generic drugs that have been illegally imported.
Drugs purchased from outside are often less expensive, however importers who bring in unapproved drugs risk being prosecuted.
Paxlovid is available in India for less money, although it is still very expensive.
This week, an AFP reporter came across a guy posing as an Indian pharmacy online who was selling generic anti-Covid medications for as high as 1,500 yuan ($217) per box to dozens of potential Chinese customers.
Paxista, a Paxlovid derivative, and Movfor and Molaz, two generic versions of the medication produced by pharmaceutical behemoth Merck, were among them.
Last Monday, Beijing authorised Merck’s antiviral, Lagevrio, which is marketed internationally for use on vulnerable persons with Covid, conditional emergency approval.
An intermediary for the pharmacist headquartered in Shenzhen claimed that they did not feel “morally conflicted” about charging excessive fees for the potentially life-saving drug and that they were more worried about legal issues.
A few participants in the chat area expressed scepticism regarding the validity of the generics.
I don’t know who to believe, a woman remarked.
