Bengaluru: CDC Alerts Public Health Officials About Counterfeit Medicines Risk
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has warned public health officials and clinicians about the potential risk of drug overdose among individuals who order counterfeit prescription medicines from online pharmacies. The CDC said that counterfeit pills sold through illegal internet-based pharmacies frequently contain fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that is the leading cause of drug overdoses in the United States.
Nearly 95% of websites offering prescription drugs online operate illegally, according to the CDC, citing data from the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy. The U.S. Department of Justice has also pressed charges against certain illegal online pharmacies selling counterfeit prescription pills to tens of thousands of individuals in the United States.
The CDC urged individuals to be cautious of online pharmacies that operate without a license, do not require a doctor’s prescription, and offer deep discounts.
Reporting by Mariam Sunny in Bengaluru; Editing by Alan Barona and Devika Syamnath.
Reference : https://health.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/pharma/regulatory-update/us-cdc-warns-of-overdose-risk-from-fake-prescription-medicines-online/113889884