Unlawful on-line pharmacies are more and more promoting counterfeit tablets laced with fentanyl and methamphetamine to prospects considering they’re buying pharmaceuticals from authentic sources, warned the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
“As Individuals more and more flip to on-line pharmacies to buy mandatory drugs, DEA is issuing this Public Security Alert to warn of a rise in unlawful on-line, usually foreign-based web sites which are deceptively concentrating on American shoppers,” the DEA stated in a launch.
Clients assume they’re shopping for Oxycodone, Adderall and Xanax for the reason that web sites usually look legit with 24-hour customer support, a U.S. web site deal with and professional-looking design.
Web sites working out India and the Dominican Republic that declare to be authentic U.S. websites are “working with drug traffickers to meet on-line orders with faux tablets,” the DEA stated.
In 2023, the DEA seized greater than 80 million fentanyl-laced faux tablets and round 12,000 kilos of fentanyl powder, equating to greater than 390 million deadly doses of fentanyl, an artificial opioid that’s 50 instances stronger than heroin. Methamphetamine is a extremely addictive stimulant.
On Sept. 30, the U.S. Legal professional’s Workplace for the Southern District of New York introduced costs in opposition to 18 individuals concerned in a scheme to fabricate and distribute tens of millions of lethal counterfeit prescribed drugs via faux on-line pharmacies in India, the Dominican Republic and the US. At the very least 9 of their prospects died of narcotics poisoning between August 2023 and June 2024.
Concentrating on shoppers with faux tablets will not be new. Three years in the past, the DEA warned the general public in regards to the enhance within the fatality and availability of faux prescription tablets containing fentanyl and meth.
Official pharmacies at all times require a health care provider’s prescription; have a bodily deal with and phone quantity within the US; are licensed within the state(s) wherein they’re working and doing enterprise; and
have a state-licensed pharmacist on employees to reply affected person questions, based on the U.S. Meals and Drug Administration.
Customers can examine the FDA’s BeSafeRx marketing campaign web site for associated assets and instruments.
