假药 (jiǎyào): counterfeit medicine

Legal definition is broad: under the old Drug Administration Law, unapproved imported drugs — even genuine Indian generics — were classified as 假药. The 2018 film 《我不是药神》 (Dying to Survive) forced a public reckoning, and the 2019 revision narrowed the definition.

In Pop Culture

我不是药神 Wǒ Bù Shì Yàoshén

Dying to Survive (2018 film)

Hit drama based on a real case where a man smuggled affordable Indian leukemia drugs — then classified as 假药 — for Chinese patients. The film triggered a major overhaul of China's drug laws.