The Drug Enforcement Administration is warning Americans to avoid some online pharmacies, saying they are selling dangerous drugs.
With rising medication prices, easy online prescribing and difficulties making doctor appointments, many Americans have turned to online pharmacies to buy medications. But the D.E.A. says counterfeit pills made with fentanyl and methamphetamine have been sold to unsuspecting customers in the United States who believe they are purchasing real pharmaceutical drugs such as Oxycodone, Adderall, Xanax and other drugs.
The public safety alert said a woman in the United States “ordered what she believed to be oxycodone from an online pharmacy, only to receive a fake pill made with fentanyl.” The pill looked identical to authentic oxycodone, but it was made with fentanyl and filler. She died from acute fentanyl poisoning.
A boom in online prescribing driven by the pandemic, relaxed telehealth rules and a surge in the number of online pharmacies providing medications for things like ADHD, erectile dysfunction, acne and hair loss has made the practice of buying online seem frictionless and painless. Americans have become accustomed to online sellers like Hims & Hers, Cerebral for mental health and Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drugs.
“D.E.A. is issuing this Public Safety Alert to warn of an increase in illegal online, often foreign-based websites that are deceptively targeting American consumers,” the D.E.A. said in a public safety alert. “D.E.A. has identified websites being operated in India and the Dominican Republic. Many of these sites purport to be legitimate, U.S. based or F.D.A. approved sites, but are actually working with drug traffickers to fulfill online orders with fake pills. These website operators are going to great lengths to make the websites look like legitimate online pharmacies – they offer 24-hour customer service, post online reviews and safety facts, and offer deep discounts to deceive customers into believing they were buying from a reputable business.”
The alert listed these sites:
- www.Curecog.com
- www.Pharmacystoresonline.com
- www.Careonlinestore.com
- www.yourphamacy.online
- www.MD724.com
- www.Greenleafdispensarystore.com
- www.Whatishydrocodone.weebly.com
- www.Orderpainkillersonline.com
- www.USAMedstores.com
“If you have purchased alleged medication from any of these websites, you should immediately stop using it and contact your local D.E.A. office or report the incident here,” the alert said.
The alert listed these warning signs to distinguish the suspect online sellers:
- “Sells prescription drugs without requiring a valid prescription from a healthcare provider
- “Offers much cheaper prices than what is typically seen in the market
- “Lists prices in a foreign currency
- “Does not contain proof of a valid pharmacy state license or D.E.A. registration
- “Medicine arrives in broken or damaged packaging or in a foreign language
- “Medicine does not have an expiration date or is expired
- “Medicine looks different from what you have received in the past from your trusted pharmacist.”
