With the increasing trend of buying essential medications online, more and more people are opting for the convenience of online purchases. However, this convenience has also opened the door for criminals to take advantage of unsuspecting individuals.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in the United States issued a warning last week about the rising number of fake “online pharmacies”. Many American consumers mistakenly believe they are purchasing legitimate and regulated medications such as the powerful painkiller Oxycodone, the mental health drug Adderall, or the anti-anxiety medication Xanax from these online stores. In reality, these medications are dangerous counterfeit drugs laced with fentanyl and methamphetamine (commonly known as crystal meth).
Consuming these fake medications can pose serious health risks, even leading to death. Data shows that fentanyl has become one of the deadliest drugs in American history, with a rising number of overdose incidents each year. Many cases of death occur because unsuspecting individuals unknowingly ingest fake drugs containing fentanyl and other synthetic opioids.
Fentanyl, being cheap yet potent and deadly, with just 2 milligrams – equivalent to a few grains of salt, capable of killing a person. The fentanyl content in each counterfeit medication tablet on the market ranges from 0.02 to 5.1 milligrams.
The DEA discovered that the servers of these fake online pharmacies are often located overseas, in countries like India and the Dominican Republic. Criminals acquire tools from mainland China, produce counterfeit drugs laced with fentanyl and crystal meth in New York, sell them through these fake online pharmacies, and request payment through services like Chime, PayPal, ApplePay, Zelle, CashApp, or cryptocurrencies.
Prior incidents have confirmed that Mexican cartels and drug trafficking groups have been obtaining large quantities of fentanyl precursors and other synthetic drugs with the assistance of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for several years.
In a recent drug enforcement operation, law enforcement arrested 18 suspects operating fake online pharmacy networks and seized 10 pill presses, 100 pounds of fentanyl, 255 pounds of the emerging drug para-fluorofentanyl, 215 pounds of crystal meth, and 625,000 counterfeit pills containing fentanyl and crystal meth from three counterfeit drug manufacturing facilities and two storage facilities.
DEA Chief Anne Milgram stated, “These criminals have sold millions of dangerous counterfeit drugs to victims across the United States, aiming to profit by using the highly addictive and deadly fentanyl to get people hooked.”
One victim, who intended to purchase the painkiller Oxycodone, accidentally bought fake medication made from fentanyl from a fake website that looked identical to the genuine product. Days after receiving the medication, the victim tragically died from acute fentanyl poisoning after taking one counterfeit pill.
Officials warn that fake pharmacy websites are becoming increasingly realistic, resembling legitimate pharmacy websites with features like 24-hour customer service, online reviews and safety information, significant discounts, and even claiming to be “legitimate, U.S.-based websites approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)”. In reality, these illicit pharmacies collaborate with drug traffickers to profit from selling counterfeit drugs.
California parents Ed and Mary Ternan, advocates against the dangers of counterfeit prescription drugs, express their concern that counterfeit drugs are rapidly spreading online, and drug traffickers continuously peddle lethal counterfeit medications to teenagers via social media networks. Their son was a victim of this tragic reality.
On May 14, 2020, the couple’s 22-year-old son Charlie was found dead in his college dorm room. Prior to the incident, Charlie, to alleviate back pain from surgery, purchased a painkiller called Percocet (Oxycodone) on social media, unaware that it was a counterfeit medication laced with fentanyl, leading to his untimely death.
Through various means, the couple warns parents and children not to purchase or consume any medication arbitrarily. Lee Shaomin, director of the California Coalition Against Drugs (CCAD), advises, “For safety purposes, it is best for everyone to buy medication from traditional pharmacies.”
While it may be challenging for regular consumers to detect fake online pharmacies, understanding some characteristics of illegal websites can be helpful. Signs to look out for include the ability to purchase prescription drugs without a doctor’s prescription, significantly lower drug prices compared to the market, displaying foreign currency prices, absence of valid pharmacy state licenses or DEA registration certificates, damaged packaging or foreign language, lack of expiration dates on medications, different packaging from previous prescription purchases, and more.
The DEA emphasizes that if consumers notice any of the above red flags, they must remain vigilant. The only safe way to obtain prescription drugs is through licensed healthcare providers’ prescriptions and reputable pharmacies. ◇