"Cheap imitation medicines are doing more harm than good to patients in Burma... It?s a risky panacea. Cheap counterfeit pharmaceuticals are common in Burma, but the ultimate price is far more costly as the lives of millions are at risk. Huge numbers of fake drugs flood pharmacies in Burma from neighboring China and India, with most just bogus placebos containing ingredients harmful to patients. "Consumers should be suspicious of cheap pharmaceuticals available at small shops," warns Dr Min Swe, manager of Burma?s Essential Drug Project at a seminar on counterfeit drugs held in Rangoon last year. With widespread poverty in Burma, the price of medicine is always a prime concern and most people will settle for the cheaper alternative unaware that the contents will do little to treat the illness, or worse, aggravate the symptoms..."