Counterfeit Medicines in Panama 2026: Minsa Campaign and Alerts

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What Minsa launched in September 2026

In Panama, on September 1, 2026, the Ministry of Health (Minsa), through the National Directorate of Pharmacy and Drugs (DNFD), presented the campaign "Careful! A counterfeit medicine can cost you your life," aimed at illegal trade, unauthorized manufacturing and illicit sale of medicines¹. DNFD director Uriel Pérez said that so far this year there were "multiple cancellations of sanitary registrations of medicines and cosmetics" circulating without authorization, and that the previous year the agency seized 25,000 kilos (25 tons) of counterfeit products in joint operations¹.

Minister Fernando Boyd Galindo said counterfeiting "represents a threat to citizens' lives" and explained that a counterfeit product may lack the active ingredient, have incorrect doses or contain highly harmful substances¹. Reports go through the DNFD's official portal, in coordination with the National Customs Authority and the Public Prosecutor's Office, for criminal cases involving crimes against public health and intellectual property¹. The report does not break down the 25,000 kg by product type.

Three 2026 cases that show the problem

Oncology monoclonal antibody (September 7). After a Customs seizure of a cancer drug described as a monoclonal antibody, Minsa warned that a counterfeit product may lack the necessary active ingredient or contain substances other than those declared². The report does not name the brand. Recommendations were to buy only from authorized establishments, with a prescription from a qualified physician, and to check current sanitary registration, security seals and origin; the DNFD monitors social media and websites that advertise medicines².

Artri Ajo Rey and Artri Ajo King (July 23). The DNFD warned that both joint-pain products have no sanitary registration in Panama, and said Artri Ajo Rey contains dexamethasone, diclofenac and methocarbamol not declared on the label, based on an FDA notification³. The FDA itself updated its warning on March 3, 2026: its laboratory analysis found those three undeclared drugs in Artri Ajo Rey, and it notes that stopping a corticosteroid abruptly can cause withdrawal, so patients should consult their health professional⁴. The DNFD asks that distributors be reported at 501-0306³.

Injectables and supplements in Chiriquí (September 24). Customs held vitamin supplements and unregistered injectables from "South American countries," along with agricultural equipment lacking documents; the agency is investigating whether they entered through smuggling⁵. It is worth stating what the report leaves out: no quantities, no names of the injectables or supplements; and the headline links the $325,000 figure to the goods, although the text ties it to the agricultural equipment⁵.

GLP-1 drugs and alerts relayed from Brazil

The DNFD also posts alerts from other regulators. Alert 018-DNFD-2026 (June 17) relays a Brazilian authority notice on Mounjaro KwikPen (tirzepatide 15 mg, lot D719674C) and Keytruda (lot Y019149), both marked "counterfeit"¹². Alert 032-DNFD-2026 (August 7) relays another from ANVISA on Mounjaro 10 mg, lot 855044¹³. PAHO warned in March 2026 that growing GLP-1 demand can feed unofficial channels, including the internet and social media, with incorrect doses, different active ingredients or undeclared ingredients¹⁵; WHO had already noted more reports of falsified semaglutide in all regions since 2022¹¹. For earlier cases see counterfeit GLP-1s in Panama and registration, prices and the CSS. The literature is starting to document it: an analysis of EudraVigilance safety data on counterfeit semaglutide was published in 2026¹⁶, and a market-surveillance study evaluated semaglutide products sold online without a prescription¹⁷.

Why Panama is a sensitive point

In 2025 Minister Boyd Galindo said, according to La Estrella, that because of its logistics position Panama is vulnerable to the entry of illicit products, and that the rise of e-commerce and informal channels makes surveillance harder⁸. Telemetro recalled Operation Pangea XV (2022): 275,075 units of unregistered medicines seized, worth more than B/. 222,000⁹. The most recent seizure, thousands of unregistered 50 mg sildenafil tablets in San Felipe during the "Navidad sin Contrabando" operation, is covered separately in Customs seizes unregistered sildenafil in Panama⁶⁷.

What to do: verify and report

• Check current sanitary registration, security seals and that the establishment is authorized before acquiring or recommending a product²³.
• Be wary of offers on social media or unauthorized websites; the DNFD monitors them².
• Report suspected adverse reactions through VigiMedic (medicines) or VigiVac (vaccines) from the DNFD website; therapeutic failures and quality defects are reported separately on the FADDI platform¹⁴.
• Report distributors to the DNFD (line 501-0306 in the Artri case) and through the official portal, which coordinates with Customs and the Public Prosecutor's Office¹³. More on the process in Pharmacovigilance in Panama.