Global enforcement, research, and public warnings dominated the month as counterfeit medicines continue to spread across regions and therapeutic classes.
October 2025 saw a global spike in counterfeit and substandard drug activity—from large seizures in Nigeria and India to warnings over fake GLP-1 and diet pills in the U.S. and Asia. Experts called for stronger regulation as detection remains nearly impossible for consumers, while new research and enforcement actions highlighted how widespread the counterfeit medicine crisis has become worldwide.
Africa & Nigeria
Authorities warned of a surge in counterfeit drugs entering Nigeria, prompting renewed calls for stronger border control (The Sun).
NAFDAC destroyed ₦15 billion worth of fake and expired products, highlighting the size of the black market (Vanguard).
Pharmacists reiterated that substandard drugs threaten public safety and urged tighter surveillance at ports and borders (Daily Post, Punch Healthwise).
India
India’s counterfeit crisis continues to expand beyond cough syrups, with fake painkillers and antibiotics flooding markets (India Today, Business Today).
Crackdowns across states intensified—Uttar Pradesh seized 850 samples and made 100+ arrests (MSN), while Uttarakhand tested 370 suspect medicines (Asianet News).
A Delhi “ENO” factory producing over 91,000 fake packets was busted (ABP Live), and a shocking confession from a Rewa store owner revealed doctors prescribing counterfeit drugs (Bhaskar English).
CDSCO also expanded investigations into counterfeit cough syrups and substandard products (The420.in).
Central Asia
Tashkent residents recovered over 5.3 billion soums in fake-drug-related losses, showing the region’s growing exposure to counterfeit pharmaceuticals (Zamin.uz).
Southeast Asia
Vietnamese influencer Ngan 98 was detained in a high-profile counterfeit diet-pill scandal, underscoring the danger of influencer-driven drug marketing (VietnamNet).
UK & Europe
A UCL expert warned that fake medicines are rising on the UK’s black market (UCL).
The UK Department of Health issued an alert to older citizens about suspect products (Express), while pharmacists warned of fake meds and adulterated THC vapes targeting youth (The Pharmacist).
United States
A Florida op-ed highlighted counterfeit GLP-1 drugs as a growing patient risk, describing them as a short-term gain with long-term consequences (Tampa FP).
Global Research & Policy
Experts at a health summit warned that detecting counterfeit medicines is “impossible” for consumers and called for stronger government oversight (Times Now News).
A PLOS ONE study added new data on the prevalence of falsified medicines (PLOS ONE), and a ReliefWeb brief announced a study in Côte d’Ivoire to quantify the problem in West Africa (ReliefWeb).
Takeaway:
October brought a surge in seizures, arrests, and warnings across every region. Counterfeits are expanding into high-demand lifestyle drugs and everyday treatments alike, proving once again that patient safety requires global coordination, faster detection, and stricter border controls.