By Randy Hutchinson
President of the BBB of the Mid-South
Reprinted from The Jackson Sun
“The difference with the pharmaceuticals, as opposed to buying a fake Fendi or Louis Vuitton bag, is you’re talking about your health.”
So said John P. Leonard, the No. 2 trade official at Customs and Border Protection, in talking to AARP about counterfeit drugs. The top two counterfeits are the erectile dysfunction drugs Viagra and Cialis, but he also cited phony Botox treatments, fake medicines for cancer and cholesterol, and others.
On its website, pharmaceutical company Viatris says it’s found the following in counterfeit medications:
- Blue printer ink.
- Amphetamines, also known as “speed.”
- Metronidazole, a powerful antibiotic that could cause an allergic reaction, diarrhea, or vomiting.
- Too much active ingredient (or not enough), which may cause you harm.
- Binding agents, such as drywall, that prevent the tablet from breaking down in your system.
Eli Lilly says people who take counterfeit drugs may be ingesting arsenic, floor polish, cement powder and leaded road paint. Not to mention illicit or illegal drugs like fentanyl.
Many of the fake drugs are sold by online pharmacies. According to AARP, there are over 650 websites with “Viagra” or something similar in their domain name that are labeled “not recommended” by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP), which comprises state pharmacy regulators. Its Executive Director, Lemrey “Al” Carter, told AARP that rogue online pharmacies “lure patients to the Internet to seek lower-cost alternatives and put the patient’s health and safety at risk.”
The FDA says more people are turning to online pharmacies for a variety of reasons. Health insurance plans encourage the use of online pharmacy services and home delivery of maintenance medications. Many consumers value the convenience and privacy of buying their medications online and are attracted by cost savings advertised there.
There are roughly 35,000 online pharmacies operating at any given time, but only 3 to 5 percent comply with U.S. pharmacy laws and practice standards. Many appear to be located in Canada, which has gained a reputation as a source for buying less expensive drugs, but some of their drugs are actually manufactured in Russia, China, and other countries on the other side of the globe. That doesn’t necessarily make them bad, but it does make it ever more important that you deal with a legitimate online pharmacy.
The FDA offers these warning signs that an online pharmacy may not be legitimate:
- Allows you to buy drugs without a prescription or completion of an online questionnaire.
- Offers prices that seem too good to be true.
- Advertises via unsolicited email or social media.
- Ships prescriptions worldwide or states drugs will be shipped from a foreign country.
The FDA says to look for a physical address in the United States and be sure the online pharmacy is licensed by the state where it’s located and by your state. It should have a state-licensed pharmacist to answer your questions. You can check out an online pharmacy at NABP’s safe.pharmacy website. Its Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites (VIPPS) Seal indicates an online pharmacy meets its standards.
In addition to the risks of buying bad drugs, the FDA says unsafe websites may put your personal and financial information at risk. They may sell it to scammers and/or infect your computer with viruses.