Could your online purchasing habits be putting your health at risk? Counterfeit drugs purchased online can contain cheaper – sometimes even dangerous – ingredients such as highway paint, floor wax, and boric acid. Pfizer’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Freda Lewis-Hall recently joined “The Doctors” to share shocking details about the illegal world of counterfeit drugs.
 

“Counterfeit drugs are a health hazard,” Dr. Lewis-Hall says. She explains that while some counterfeit medications may lack the active ingredient that makes the drug effective, others could have the wrong amount of active ingredient or even a different ingredient. “At best, it can make them ineffective; at worst, it can make them deadly,” she says.

Dr. Lewis-Hall offers the following tips for when you receive your prescription in the mail:

• Inspect the packaging and the product
• Check the color, texture and smell of the pills
• Look for evidence of tampering
• If you have concerns about a website or drug seller, please report the information to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for further investigation.

According to John Clark, chief global security officer for Pfizer who also appeared on this segment of The Doctors, “counterfeit pills have been found in up to 120 different countries… When purchasing medications online,” he says, “avoid sites that do not require a prescription.” He also notes that logos signifying the site has been certified by reputable organizations can be counterfeited as well. And it’s not just your health you may be endangering by ordering from untrustworthy sites; Clark warns that a shady site could also steal your identity from the credit card information you submit.

As described on the show, many online pharmacies are illegal and sell drugs that are tainted, ineffective or something other than what you order. They attempt to fool unsuspecting consumers with drugs that look almost identical to the real thing. To be sure you are ordering from a reputable source, please check the online pharmacy before you buy using LegitScript’s pharmacy verification tool. Also, as stated earlier, if you have concerns about a website or drug seller, please report the information to the FDA for further investigation using our online portal.

####

The Center for Safe Internet Pharmacies (CSIP) and our 13 member companies have the shared goal of helping address the growing problem of consumer access to illegitimate pharmaceutical products on the Internet. Continue to read this blog for updates on CSIP’s education, enforcement and information-sharing efforts.