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Subscribe to RSSThe Food and Drug Administration is warning U.S. consumers that the vast majority of Internet pharmacies are fraudulent and likely are selling counterfeit drugs that could harm them.
The agency on Friday launched a national campaign, called BeSafeRx, to alert the public to the danger, amid evidence that more people are shopping for their medicine online, looking for savings and convenience.
Instead, they're likely to get fake drugs that are contaminated, are past their expiration date or contain no active ingredient, the wrong amount of active ingredient or even toxic substances such as arsenic and rat poison. They could sicken or kill people, cause them to develop a resistance to their real medicine, cause new side effects or trigger harmful interactions with other medications being taken.
"Our goal is to increase awareness," FDA Commissioner Dr. Margaret Hamburg told The Associated Press, "not to scare people away from online pharmacies. We want them to use appropriate pharmacies."
That means pharmacies that are located in the U.S., are licensed by the pharmacy board in the patient's state and have a licensed pharmacist available to answer questions. In addition, the pharmacy must require a valid doctor's prescription for the medicine. Online drugstores that claim none is needed, or that the site's doctor can write a prescription after the customer answers some questions, are breaking the law.
Research by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy, which represents the state pharmacy boards, found that of thousands of online pharmacies it reviewed, only about 3 percent follow state and federal laws. In fact, the group's website lists only a few dozen Internet pharmacies that it has verified are legitimate and following the rules.
Most consumers don't know that. An Internet survey, conducted by the FDA in May, questioned 6,090 adults. It found that nearly one in four Internet shoppers has bought prescription drugs online, and nearly three in 10 said they weren't confident they could do so safely.
The campaign comes after some high-profile cases of counterfeit drugs reaching American patients earlier this year.
In February and again in April, the FDA warned doctors and cancer clinics around the country that it had determined they had bought fake Avastin, a pricey injectable cancer medicine, from a "gray market" wholesaler. The fake Avastin vials originated in Asia or Eastern Europe and were transferred through a network of shady wholesalers before being sold to clinics by a wholesaler claiming to be in Montana.
In another case, the FDA issued a warning in May after learning consumers shopping on the Internet had bought fake versions of generic Adderall, a popular medication for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
No deaths or serious injuries have been linked to those fakes, but Hamburg notes that when drugs don't help patients get better, doctors usually blame the disease or assume a different medicine is needed. That means most fakes aren't detected.
So the FDA, which has put increasing focus on the counterfeiting problem, on Friday launched a website, www.FDA.gov/BeSafeRx , that shows consumers how to determine if an online pharmacy is safe.
"Buying prescription medicine from a fake online pharmacy can be dangerous, or even deadly," the site warns.
It includes tips on how to spot illegal pharmacies, links to state databases of licensed pharmacies and explanations of all the dangers of rogue pharmacies. Besides likely getting fake drugs, that includes the risk that they will infect your computer with viruses, sell your personal and financial information to other rogue websites and Internet scammers, or charge you for products you never ordered or received.
Many rogue pharmacies claim to be in Canada — because Americans know medicines are cheaper there and assume that's why they're getting a deal. Many fraudulent sites even put the word Canada in their name, or display the Canadian flag prominently on the site. Their web storefronts are slick and look professional. And they all offer prices that are unbelievably low.
"If the low prices seem too good to be true, they probably are,' Hamburg said.
The FDA is collaborating with several other federal agencies and departments and even Interpol in the campaign, Hamburg said, and it has asked medical and pharmaceutical industry groups to join in.
It's also reaching out to doctors, pharmacists and medical facilities to spread the word. They'll get access to materials they can download, from patient fact sheets and discussion guides to sample blog items and web banners for a practice's own website. There's also a list of tips to help doctors determine if a patient may be buying medicine online.
The agency will do a follow-up survey to see if the campaign's message is reaching the public.
"What's truly important to us is that consumers know how to look for an online pharmacy that's legitimate and safe," Hamburg said.
Related stories:
Congressional investigators claim "fake pharmacies" are popping up around the country that purchase drugs in short supply, and then turn around and sell them at higher prices. NBC's senior investigative correspondent Lisa Myers reports.
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FDA approves the sale of cigarettes to white trash - smoking must be healthy!
Another FDA scare tactic. Late husband had to take non-generic meds which cost us $40,000+ a year. We used Canadian pharmacies for years because the cost was far below US pharmacies, and never had a problem with them. Use common sense and check the pharmacy out before buying. Oh, and is the same FDA that says it can't find a thing wrong with the chicken tenders made in China that have killed over 1,000 dogs??? I think we have a credibility issue here.
The real story here is the FDA hates to not be in control, it makes them less relevant. There are many legitimate online drugs sites and real savings can be had by using them. Buyers need to excercise caution and common sense.
The FDA is in the pocket of BigPharm as is the Congress. I buy drugs from Canada Pharmacy which are cheaper even though I have drug insurance. BigPharm and Congress are no less than a criminal conspircy joined at the hip.
What info...true you Can get ripped off on-line for anything...however the FDA is saying all this while allowing big Pharma rip people off still be able to sell via medicare by opening shell companies to take the fall as if convicted of crimes they could not EVER be a part of medicare again...when the FDA basically backs the pharm.co. Then we are in trouble-- what about hospitals buying their meds ONLINE..suppose that is ok where do you think the meds you do get come from? Like the flu shots a few years back coming from Sweden and TAINTED.....People find they can afford a vacation when surgery is needed as the cost here equates to going to another country with EXCEllent Doctors and having it done there-and then recuperate and come home at a fraction of what it would have cost here....USA pharma is just OUT OF CONTROL gouging rip offs of the worst kind. Praying on vulnerable patients who REALLY need them to have compassion....get used to it as it will only get worse .....HERE....
In the USAm y pills are 9.45 each mail order .89 WTF untill the Pham. Co. Untill Pham. Co. stop ripping people of I will gladly send my money to Canada. If I could buy gas the same way I sure as hell would
BS I've been buying from Canada for over 8 years now nothing has gone the way FDA says. Pharm Co. more than likely put the FDA up to the scare warning. Wait till Obama care kicks in if it does ( God Help us ) there won't be anybody buying drugs here
Lol...yeah, horrible, isn't it all. Nice scare tactics. This is about the safety of online pharmacies.
Perhaps the majority of On Line Pharmacy claims in your Spam box are just that. But, there are ethical On Line Pharmacys that provide a needed service. I purchase one Prescription Drug on line because it is no longer available in the US. Go to Federal Drug website and you will find it still listed as approve. But, search across the Nation and none can be found. There is one reason and only one reason given. It has been Generic for 30 years and there is no HIGH LEVEL OF PROFIT in it. The Prescription drug can be bought on legitimate Canadian Pharmacy Websites. It is delivered and it is manufactured in Turkey (maybe a red flag ) by the US Drug Manufacturer, Novartis. The prescription is Cafergot. A Migrane Medicine that the high priced current US Migrane Meds does not mimic. Cafergot: Egotamine and Caffine (No narcotic here).
Before the Drug Administration gets after Ethical Online Pharmacys it would be equally important for them to address US Manufactures witholding approved Meds. As far as quality Consumer Reports Mag. reports products like Excedrin are do back on the shelves in the fall. Why, because US Manufatures failed equally to provide quality control.
Shame second on the fraud Online Pharmacys but double Shame Shame on the US Drug Manufactures.
If the FDA was truly concerned, it would push for lower drug costs from the drug manufacturers, pharmacies, and big PHARM companies inside the borders of this country.
Plain and Simple.
answer is simple, IF the FDA,...we won't say what FDA stands for but i know you ALL know..., would get the prices to go down...then nobody would feel that they don't have a choice...it's either eat or meds for some. and if then can't get the meds cheaper then they go w/o what they badly need....FDA is unbelivable, we pay taxes for these clowns and all they do is try to scare us "back in line" as if we were "sheeple"....they need to address the root of the problem, but being is it is greed...it prob. can't be fixed...we need universal health care...it's obivious..
While this may be true for some of the online pharmacies the ones in Canada are more likely to be above board. What the saps known as the American Public believe is what the government wants you to believe and that is the FDA is here to help and protect you. The reality is the FDA is the lobby arm of the pharmaceutical companies that don't want you buying drugs from anywhere else as it cuts into their profit margin. The FDA is also the lobbying arm of the dairy and meat industry and all of agribusiness who do not have your health in mind, just their profits. So, enjoy your high fructose corn syrup, your dairy and meats that are causing you to have diabetes and high blood pressure and to make millionaires out of those that profit from your stupidity and poor health. Oh and of course, the pharmaceutical companies that make $$'s off of the illnesses you caused yourself. Remember no $$'s off of healthy people and none from dead people, it's the sick ones in the middle where the profits lie.
I've bought rx's online many times and every one of them smelled ,tasted and worked exactly the same as the WAY overpriced US bought versions.Sorry feds, you can't fool me into believing your crap,nice try though, dirtbags.
With the way this country is going - layoffs, no work, no insurance - people who are in need of these drugs go outside the US because of a) cheaper prices, b) no need of a prescription, etc.
Are the pharmacies complaining because they are not making as much money?
I agree for buyer beware type of thing... heck the reason this country and the world are in the state we all are in is because of corruption by the ones who have the money to lend... seems that the ultra rich want to bring back the feudal system from the middle ages... them - the very few rich - and the rest of us all working at minimum wages... Right Mitt?
You do need a prescription, but the prices are cheaper.
Why is our government allowing our money to go for research and development and letting Americans pay the high prices and Canadians and Europeans get the deep discounts for the prescriptions? Now they are trying to scare us with threats of bad pills. Why don't they equalize the prescription prices so people don't have to go overseas to pay for their medicine? Thank you George Bush. The pills I need are $7.50 each in Canada and $27.00 in the US. WHY? That's the cash price for the pills either way. Why? They got to get the money and send it to Pakistan and Israel so they smile and then stab us in the back.
people can't afford the prices for medications here in the US. They're forced to take a chance.
I have used online pharmacies for years. Due to "pre-existing conditions" and other little things that insurance companies use to pitch you from the system... at times you need to take care of the self first, before you get into this era. Too, if prices weren't so darn high, people could get them here. Mexico won't send into the US anymore - Canada has great prices, but requires scripts for many items - which does you in on getting reimbursed if you do have quasi-insurance (they won't pay on out of country fills). So yeh, I will continue to get out of the country as long as I need to. No need telling the doctor EVERYTHING I am taking - like antibiotics once in awhile, when I know I need them...ease up USA, so people can get what they need easier here, lower the prices, and do away with "pre-existing" and such.
The on-line pharmacies wouldn't have sprung up if so many Americans didn't need to save money on their prescriptions. Right over the border and 25% of the cost. Senior citizens are spending more than their SS checks on pills.
big name drug companies are crying because their losing money...that's the bottom line. So the FDA (who's owned by the drug companies) puts out a statement to scare people back into buying here. It's all BS. I'm sure a few people at the FDA will be getting some nice Christmas bonuses from the drug companies for releasing this statement. There are plenty of credible online pharmacies out there. You just have to do some research to find the legit ones. Hint* if you don't need a prescription stay away...lol
What they should be warning people about is the high price of medications in this country. People don't have a choice but to buy online if they want to get their meds. Obamacare hurry and save us.
teamdirtdogs
@Robert, I'm an MD and went to med school here. When I need a Rx for myself or for my family I try to get generics, I check out the 4$ generics at Target/Walmart and if I can't find them there I use Costco or Sam's (note: you don't have to be a member to use those warehouses' pharmacies). But when I do need the brand-name Rx we try to buy overseas. When we visit family in Asia, we find brand-name Rx's for about 1/4 to 1/3 the price of the same med here....from reputable pharmacies that have been used by my parent-MD since they were in practice. DH buys his Rx from an online pharmacy in Canada, for about 1/4 the cheapest price we could find here. (yup, we MDs have crappy insurance too, we have BC/Anthem, decent generic copays, 15$, but no real non-generic coverage). So far no problems, and when we've called the pharmacists have been knowledgeable and professional.
Many people use online pharmacies to get meds they shouldn't be trying to get, e.g. narcs, but many, like my family, use them bc they are far cheaper. Shame on Big Pharma for jacking the prices up so high here.
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Same here teamdirtdogs; retired to Orient from USA and can't use Medicare/Medicaid overseas. Buy all my meds out of pocket locally and they work perfectly. I monitor my health and I'm just as healthy as I was 4 years ago when I retired to here. The generics overseas are pennies compared to prices in USA.
Hmmm....I think we all should be using a little bit of common sense here. I know my doctor checked out the online pharmacy I wanted to use before he okayed it. Told me what to look for when the meds arrived, etc. I haven't had any problems and I have saved a ton money over the past year (Wally World wanted 120 a month and I now pay 30 for a 90 supply.) It all comes down to talking to your doctor and doing what you feel comfortable with.
People wouldn't try the online, out of USA pharmacies if the USA drug companies were not gouging them. How can Canada offer the identical brand name drugs at a much lower cost? When I was without insurance, I obtained necessary brand name medicines from Canada and never had a problem with the effectiveness of any. The FDA should tackle the problem: The drug companies and not the symptoms: The citizens using the web.
Oh, the wholly-owned lap dog of Big Pharma has been told to speak, ain't that cute? C'mon now, I'd trust the FDA about as much as the NRC. LOL No doubt at all that there are some bunk drugs being sold online, and anybody with a few brain cells is aware of it, but this article sounds more like a bunch of Swiss-based drug companies outfits crying about profits. Can't just come out and say as much, but the FDA is paid well to protect the rights of giant conglomerates.
For real, the FDA allows us to be used as lab rats, allows drugs backed by bought-and-paid-for studies on the market and walks away smiling no matter what the outcome. Truly wish some org would play a connect-the-dots game between FDA officials and off-shore accounts, paid vacation vouchers and retirement accounts.
Notice, that only a few dozen Internet pharmacies that are verified as legitimate and follow the rules are never disclosed. It does make you wonder if this is just to get people to stop buying across country lines.
The FDA is own by the drug companies. The real truth is that our drug companies are charging us American double of what they are charging places like Canada and other countries. Not only our FDA is bought out, our Congress is bought out by these drug companies. What else can it be, allowing them to charge us Americans double? We are getting ripped off big time.
I can't get too mad at U.S. pharmacies. I have a Rx that I need to take daily. Due to it's possible adverse effects, especially when it came out decades ago led to dozens of Law Suits. It is a safe medication IF you follow the precautions. Certain foods and medication can lead to a deadly reaction if taken while on this medication. Because people can't follow instructions and people still mange to kill themselves decades after the problems were discovered. Has led to only one manufacture to continue to make this medication. It cost $10.00 a day! Why so much. They are sued regularly by patient families who cost them millions to defend this medication. Even though the plaintiffs do not win, they still sue.
If it were not for the Pharmacies Patient Assistant program I could not possibly be on this medication. While not Life threatening if I can't take it, the quality of my life would be greatly effected.
I remember when the internet was first proposed to be used by researchers to have access to the Library of Congress. I thought it was going to be super. Than some idiot discovered you could post a pornographic picture, the rest is History....
Phoney meds??? Good God that's the grain of sand on the bottom of the ocean sea bed. The crap available on the Internet is nuts!!! Maybe we need to go back and just allow access to the Library of Congress and get rid of all this commercial crapola. Or hope people get a clue. Neither one will happen in my Life time.