Rick Roberts, a patient living with HIV, tells his personal story in this video about his fight against disease and the impact that counterfeit medicines have had on his health.
In late 2000, Rick picked up his usual monthly supply of a prescription medicine at his local pharmacy. The medicine was an injectable growth hormone – approved by the Food and Drug Administration – used to combat HIV Wasting Syndrome. After injecting his daily dose, Rick noticed some unfamiliar side effects. During his next visit to the pharmacy, he asked his pharmacist about any possible changes to his medicine. As he recounts, it would take months to unravel the story behind the fake medicine he received.
Rick Roberts, a professor at the University of San Francisco and an Executive Board member of the Andrew Ziegler Foundation, has testified before various legislative bodies including the United States Senate and numerous state legislatures. Rick continues to travel extensively around the U.S. to raise awareness of the threats that counterfeit medicines pose on patient health at a time when Congress is considering risky prescription drug importation proposals.
