Counterfeit Pharmaceuticals and Healthcare Fraudulent marketing and counterfeit prescription of drugs is one of the most serious corporate crimes in the society today. Unlike other corporate crimes like bribery, environmental pollution, dumping of substandard products in the market and exploitation of workers, counterfeit prescription has far more reaching effects than the mere violation of ethical laws. Counterfeit prescription of drugs is not only unethical because it involves the marketing of products under false labels (false claims of treating certain diseases and conditions), but also exposes unknowing users to other harmful side effects. But more worrying is the public deception upon which counterfeit prescriptions are marketed to consumers. A case in point is the scandal involving the Swiss drug manufacturer Novartis, which in 2010 was fined $423 million for the illegal promotion and selling of five drugs that the company falsely claimed could treat psychiatric conditions. With reference to the illegal marketing practices of Novartis, this essay discusses the dangers of counterfeit prescriptions as one of the most serious corporate crimes in society today.