Last week, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a new warning to consumers about counterfeit drugs that are being sold over the Internet. In cases reported in different parts of the country, people who bought prescription drugs to treat insomnia or depression actually received a different, antipsychotic drug, haloperidol, which had been disguised to look like their intended products (haloperidol is normally used to treat schizophrenia). Consequently, many people needed emergency medical care to treat the unwanted and unsuspected side effects of the haloperidol, which were said to include muscle spasms, stiffness, and difficulty breathing. If you are worried that you might be affected, you can find photos of the counterfeit drugs and their packaging on the FDA website for comparison.
Ever since the idea was conceived, the practice of buying prescription drugs online has always been a somewhat risky business. You must avoid tremendous pitfalls if you are serious about purchasing medicine online. A recent article published in the New York Times described the dramatic increase in fake pharmaceuticals worldwide. The problem is very serious, and the manufacturing of counterfeit drugs has become an industry all its own. In most cases, the counterfeits are surprisingly accurate in their appearance. The packaging is skillfully imitated, and even tiny holograms intended to prevent forgery have been fraudulently replicated. The real danger, however, lies within the pills’ contents, which seems to range from harmless items such as chalk to powerful chemicals meant to produce physiological effects. One counterfeit drug that was tested contained a sulfa drug, which can be fatal to those who are allergic.
The market obviously needs a lot of help, though I fear we are still years away from the regulations necessary to thwart the plans of counterfeiting criminals. If you are currently purchasing prescription drugs online, make sure that the website requires a prescription and that there is a pharmacist available to answer your questions. Also, only purchase medications from pharmacies licensed in the United States. For more information and tips, visit the FDA website.
When I receive this as an e-mail the text is almost too small to read. I would like to be able to print out useful articles to share with others at our Neighborhood Watch meetings. Many are older senior citizens. Is a LARGE PRINT version available? How about providing a Printer-friendly link as well? Thanks, Kevin
Posted by: K. Kevin Hopkins | February 28, 2007 at 10:15 AM
Kevin, thanks for commenting. We are looking into upgrading our blog platform to include more features, and we will include the "printer-friendly" link you mentioned in our list of upgrade requests. In the meantime, we have bumped up the font size for the email updates. Thanks again, and keep in touch!
Posted by: Brandon Bryn | March 01, 2007 at 10:00 AM