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FDA
White, round pills marketed as Teva's 30-milligram Adderall are counterfeit, the Food and Drug Administration warned Tuesday.
Federal health officials are warning consumers and medical providers about fake versions of the ADHD drug Adderall being sold on the Internet.
The counterfeit 30-milligram tablets contain the wrong active ingredients, according to preliminary laboratory tests by the federal Food and Drug Administration. Instead of containing the four active ingredients in prescription Adderall, the fake tablets contain only tramadol and acetaminophen, medications used to treat acute pain.
Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., the manufacturer of Adderall, which is used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and narcolepsy, contacted the FDA after a consumer reported buying the counterfeit drugs online. Authentic Adderall is a controlled substance that requires special dispensing controls for pharmacists.
The counterfeit drugs are round, white and do not have any type of markings, such as letters and numbers. Authentic Adderall 30-milligram tablets are round, orange or peach and scored, with “dp” embossed on one side and “30” on the other side of the tablet. The Teva products are packaged only in a 100-count bottle with National Drug Code 0555-0768-02 listed.
In addition, the fake drugs are sold in blister packs and they have misspellings on the packaging, FDA officials said.
Adderall and other ADHD medications have been in short supply and listed on the FDA’s drug shortage list for more than a year. The authentic drug contains four ingredients: dextroamphetamine saccharate, amphetamine aspartate, dextroamphetamine sulfate and amphetamine sulfate. The FDA and drugmakers have blamed problems with the supply of the active pharmaceutical ingredients for the dearth of the product. Teva continues to ship the drug as it becomes available.
It’s possible the shortages have prompted consumers to seek alternative sources for the drugs. The FDA urged extra caution buying drugs online.
"The counterfeit versions of Adderall should be considered unsafe, ineffective and potentially harmful," FDA officials said in a statement.
Related stories:
- Lingering shortage of ADHD medication unravels lives
- Number of women on ADHD meds soars
- Amid shortages, rules force hospitals to toss scarce drugs
NBC News chief medical editor Dr. Nancy Snyderman discusses a recent article in The New York Times that set off a heated debate about the causes of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and whether the risks of Ritalin outweigh the benefits.
Leave a Comment:
You can't purchase this type of drug over the Internet - legally. That should be your first clue.
I think the demand for these pills is growing and coming from the college and young adult crowd. Its seen as a safe alternative and less expensive version of coke and an accessible party drug to keep you up after you drink too many beers. Kids from that age group are naive enough to not know what real adderall looks like and someone could easily sell these to make some cash.
Whoa, wait a tick, those emails selling prescription medication might be fake?!?!?!?
What next, that Nigerian Prince isn't real????
I sure hope the Nigerian Prince is real, I just won their lottery I never entered. I just wired the money for taxes so I should get my winnings any day now.
Anyone Stupid enough to buy stuff like that over the internet deserves whatever they get. It's just foolish to try to buy prescription drugs online
You've got to be pretty dumb to purchase drugs via the internet. That also goes for people who buy medications, vitamins, condoms and pregnancy tests at the dollar store. Saving a buck where you can is great but at least be smart about it!
hm.. i did buy a preg test at a dollar store.. it did say i was pregnant and I was.
if i take that drug...will it enhance my ability...to stand my ground...the neighbors want to know...
Well, good job for posting exactly what the real drug looks like, now they can make better counterfeit ones.
also making it harder...to sell my smarties for adderall...
Nah, they won't go to the trouble; they'll just slap a different label on the package and go right on scamming, and maybe, killing people.
that low dose of tramadol ain't killing nobody dude. And if people are taking mulitple 30mg Adds then they are tainted already and used to real drugs, much less weak Trams. Only people I've known who can take more than one 30 mg Adderall at one time have been ex crack/meth heads.
they didn't post the real drug pic, but why should they? google image search adderall, ain't hard to find.
@Nikiz... That's not a picture of the real Adderall - it's a picture of the fake. As the article states:
It's not like it's a big secret anyway about what the real drug looks like - look in any medical drug list book or just do a search online for an image of the real Adderall. Besides, are you kidding me with "they can make better countefeit ones." Were not talking about counterfeit $50 bills...LOL. That's obviously not an issue anyway because people are buying them online regardless, so why should they go through the trouble of trying to make the counterfeit look more like the real Adderall?
Perhaps you may have been just looking for something to comment on without really thinking first (or even reading the entire article..lol). Or maybe, you're not happy with MSN and was reaching for a way to somehow make them responsible for the fake Adderall!
Just having some fun with you and kidding around...LOL!
Actually, what they failed to share is that the generic does not look like the brand name. It is typically the same as the picture. That being said, buying the drug on the internet alone is illegal as it is a narcotic and requires specific paperwork to fill the script---must be the hard copy. I suspect that for the most part the people purchasing this fake item did not have the best intentions..
ROFL @ the best comment yet
ya media is pretty @!$%#en stupid,they are like hey guys,here is the fake one pls dont make them look like that anymore,lik and wtf are these pills for anyway,that so many want them,@!$%#,i dont think i took a pill in like 15 years,allso havent been sick in about 10 years,ya dont take pills you dont need them,they @!$%# up the chemical balance in your body,and are a gate way to cancer read about it./
what?
What are you on Anthony.
Punctuation and Medication are your friend. Stay focused.
It is good they discribe the pill at least the people (consumers) will be aware of what to look for. What gets me is this age of information & internet is why people don't research what they are putting into their bodies or their childrens bodies. In the end we are the only responsible for what we digest.
Miss Snyderman, swing by my house antime after 7 or I will send my son over without his meds. Some children NEED it. Don't judge sweet cheeks.
Brenda, Dr. Snyderman is in your corner... it's professor L. Alan Sroufe you seem to be disagreeing with.
This guy is an ignorant clown. No one that deals with this everyday thinks medication is the only solution, that is where he gives himself away as not knowing. There have been very strong genetic ties for years. There are physiological connections that are continuously being uncovered. The issue here is really that some people are abusing a drug that has enabled some to manage their daily lives. That is sad especially at a time of shortage.
Anyone who orders prescription drugs over the internet without actually having a prescription deserves whatever happens to them. These people are Darwin cases in the making. Let the herd keep culling itself.
I agree that it is crazy to order prescriptions over the internet. However, due to recent shortages, I can appreciate why some may look at it as a way to obtain much needed medication that may not be available conventionally. It is an issue of educating the masses as to how the process really works so that they may see the holes in this scam.
That would NOT even be a problem if the government regulation rules have eased a bit for those who REALLY need it, like people with severe clinical depression, ADHD and anhedonia (inability to experience pleasure)
Dhimmitude… Part of ObamaCare Bill – What Does It Mean?
Posted on May 3, 2011by Ask Marion
New Word For The Day – “Dhimmitude” – What Does It Mean?
Obama used it in the health care bill. It was specifically spelled out in one of the original drafts of the ObamaCare bill (page 107) but was taken out after negative fallout from those who actually read the bill.
Now isn’t this interesting?
Dhimmitude – I had never heard the word until now, nor did barely anyone unless they read the ObamaCare Bill. Type it into Google and start reading. Pretty interesting. It’s on page 107 of the healthcare bill. I looked this up on Google and yep, it exists. It is a REAL word.
Word of the Day: Dhimmitude
Dhimmitude is the Muslim system of controlling non-Muslim populations conquered through jihad. Specifically, it is the TAXING of non-Muslims in exchange for tolerating their presence AND as a coercive means of converting conquered remnants to Islam.
ObamaCare allows the establishment of Dhimmitude and Sharia Muslim diktat in the United States. Does anyone find that odd… and frightening? Folks, this is exclusively an Islamic concept under Sharia Law. So exclusive they had to make up an English word to define the concept. Why would our government start interjecting Sharia Law concepts into new broad and sweeping legislation like health care reform that would control the US population? ….Anyone?
Muslims are specifically exempted from the government mandate to purchase insurance, and also from the penalty tax for being uninsured. Islam considers insurance to be “gambling”, “risk-taking”, and “usury” and is thus banned. Muslims are specifically granted exemption based on this.
How convenient. So a Christian (Jew, Buddhist, Aethiest, etc) , will have crippling IRS liens placed against all of their assets, including real estate, cattle, and even accounts receivables, and will face hard prison time because they refuse to buy health insurance or pay the penalty tax. Meanwhile, Louis Farrakhan and all other U.S. Muslims will have no such penalty and will have 100% of their health needs paid for by the de facto government insurance. Non-Muslims paying a tax to subsidize Muslims. This is Sharia Law definition of… Dhimmitude. This is not a Western Civilization concept.
Dhimmit has two purposes: To enrich Muslims AND to drive conversions to Islam. “Sure, I’ll be a Muslim if it means free health insurance and no taxes. Where do I sign, bro?” (not for me, I will suffer first). So… are you asking yourself, why would our president and the people who wrote the healthcare bill put this in there???
I recommend sending this post to your contacts. This is desperately important and people need to know about it — quickly!
This really is happening in your country. A fraction at a time.
Wake up America ! They’re coming in the back door.
To check it out on Snopes click here: Health Insurance Exemptions.
Related
Don't purchase drugs over the internet, we are told by government officials...mmnnn aren't these the same people who make thousands of laws against drugs? Sure, Ill believe everything they say...hahaha They're just concerned that their pals who manufacture those drugs are going to lose profits and nothing more. This is why they didnt want people getting drugs out of Canada and Mexico - same phony claims!
I thought the FDA is one of those useless agencies that the Republicans want to eliminate. Just more big government messing around in the free enterprise system. 'Let the buyer beware'.
Aderall XR's, also a product of teva, patent is about to run out, which means competitors can make generic adderrall XR and sell it at a fraction of the cost. Teva Pharmaceutical response to this is a new drug called vyvanse. The adderrall shortage is a marketing strategy. Doctors are forcing patients to switch to vyvance despite there being no reason to change medications, other than the shortage. The new drugs cost $10 per pill. So, just as an affordable drug is about to become availiable, people are being forced to switch to a very expensive and NEW drug. Those without insurance are being offerred a free year of meds(vyvanse) by teva, those with insurance...........Well, we all are paying for their meds with our insurance premiums. THIS IS CRIMINAL AND SHOULD BE STOPPED!!!
How can the real drug possibly help someone with AIDS? It's speed, amphetamines. All 4 ingredents. That's why it's a controlled substance.
The authentic drug contains four ingredients: dextroamphetamine saccharate, amphetamine aspartate, dextroamphetamine sulfate and amphetamine sulfate.
I completely don't get it. All 4 are avalible individually. Why would a speed drug help AIDS victems, by keeping them up all night?