Man coughs up rat in advert warning over fake drugs

Reported January 13, 2009

A man is seen coughing up a dead rat in an advert to warn against the dangers of buying drugs over the internet.

The adverts will be screened in cinemas to highlight the risks posed by counterfeit medicines, often sold via websites, which may not work or even be harmful.

One in ten men have admitted buying drugs over the internet without a prescription, according to a Pfizer report and one of the most popular drugs bought online is Viagra made by the company.

The advert has been classified at 15 because of the graphic nature of the scenes in which a man pulls a dead rat from his mouth after taking a pill he has bought online.

The advert has been made by Pfizer and has the backing of the UK medicines regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), and leading patient representatives including The Patients Association, Men's Health Forum and Heart UK.

Dr David Gillen, Pfizer's Medical Director said: "We are thrilled to be collaborating with the MHRA and leading UK patient organisations to tackle the industry wide problem of counterfeit medicines head on. The time has definitely come to issue a clear, unified message to people about the dangers of purchasing medicines from illicit and unregulated sources.

"This advertising campaign forms part of a wider public education campaign launched by Pfizer last year to ensure the public is aware of the health risks they are taking by buying and consuming counterfeit medicines, potentially without even a proper diagnosis from a qualified healthcare professional."