Listening

Warm Up

Helpful Words and Phrases

Listen and repeat.

  1. a drugmaker
    • ex. The drugmaker is testing a new medicine to help sick people.
  2. lawful
    • ex. It’s not lawful to drive without a license.
  3. a supplier
    • ex. The supermarket gets fresh fruits and vegetables from local suppliers.
  4. a prescription
    • ex. The doctor gave me a prescription for the flu.
  5. licensed
    • ex. Theo became a licensed engineer after completing his studies and passing the exams.

Article

Read the article below and answer your tutor's questions.

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The World Health Organization (WHO) and drugmaker Eli Lilly and Co. are warning people about fake versions of popular weight-loss and diabetes medicines. The WHO said on June 20 that it has been receiving reports from many parts of the world about a fake drug ingredient.

Lilly also said that it is “deeply concerned” that another drug ingredient is being sold online and on social media. This ingredient is the main ingredient of Lilly’s diabetes drug Mounjaro and weight-loss drug Zepbound. The drugmaker also said that Lilly is the only lawful supplier of those drugs, and it doesn’t provide the ingredient to other drugstores and online stores. Lilly added that fake versions of its drugs advertised and sold online are never safe to use.

The WHO advised patients to protect themselves by using prescriptions from licensed doctors to buy the medicines. The agency also said patients should avoid buying the drugs from unknown stores. Lilly said that any products with the said ingredient that are not Mounjaro or Zepbound are not made by the drugmaker. These products are also not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

This material was based on an article by The Associated Press.

Discussion

Choose a topic and discuss the questions with your tutor.

Fake Drugs

  • Imagine that there is such a warning about fake medicines in your country. Would you take the warning seriously? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • Imagine that you are a member of the WHO that is warning people about fake medicines. What information would you share with the public about fake medicines (ex. information about their harmful effects)? Discuss.
  • Why do you think the WHO emphasizes using prescriptions from licensed doctors? Discuss.

Buying Medicine

  • Which do you prefer, buying medicines from a drugstore or from an online store/seller? Discuss.
  • How careful are you when it comes to buying medicine? Discuss.
  • Imagine that you bought some medicines that seem fake. What would you do? Discuss.