title: What Polish hospital healthcare workers and lay persons know about counterfeit medicine products?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To report on Polish hospital health care workers' and lay persons' knowledge about counterfeit medicine products.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional design was used. Two types of questionnaire survey about counterfeit medicine, separate for health care professionals and lay persons were completed by 201 physicians and nurses, and 450 adult Polish residents between October 2008 and January 2009.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Physicians and nurses working in hospitals are more aware of counterfeit medicine than lay persons and more often notice the presence of drugs from unknown sources. Nearly 90% of physicians, 80% of nurses, and more than 40% of representatives of the lay persons had heard about the possibility of importing illegal medicine from Ukraine or China. The majority of medical workers does not know the procedure for reporting suspicious medicine and do not warn their patients against purchasing medicine from unknown sources.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Increase education of nurses and physicians about counterfeit medicine particularly including the procedure of reporting suspicious medicine from unknown sources. In practice, reinforce a role of nurses and physicians in warning their patients against purchasing medicine from unknown sources and educate them about possible health hazards and life risks.
authors: Institute of Nursing and Health Sciences, Medical Department, University of Rzeszow, Poland. monika.binkowska@yahoo.com
authors: Monika
authors: M
authors: Binkowska-Bury
authors: Maja
authors: M
authors: Wolan
authors: Paweł
authors: P
authors: Januszewicz
authors: Artur
authors: A
authors: Mazur
authors: Zbigniew E
authors: ZE
authors: Fijalek
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001364:Awareness; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D058110:Counterfeit Drugs / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007318:Inservice Training; D008297:Male; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital; D008875:Middle Aged; D011044:Poland; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D058110:Counterfeit Drugs