WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has warned public health officials, clinicians, affected patients, their families, and caregivers about a potential public health risk among individuals ordering what they believe to be prescription medications from online pharmacies.
On Monday, the U.S. Department of Justice announced an indictment against individuals running illegal online pharmacies. According to the DOJ, they are advertising, selling, manufacturing, and shipping millions of unregulated counterfeit prescription pills to tens of thousands of customers in the U.S. The counterfeit pills frequently contain fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine, and methamphetamine.
CDC warned that people who ordered drugs from these illegal pharmacies could be at risk for an overdose.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned that there are online pharmacies that claim to sell prescription drugs at deeply discounted prices, often without requiring a prescription. These internet-based pharmacies often sell unapproved, counterfeit, or otherwise unsafe medicines outside the safeguards followed by licensed pharmacies.
CDC cautioned that patients should only take medications prescribed by a licensed healthcare provider and dispensed by a licensed pharmacy.
According to the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy, nearly 95 percent of websites offering prescription-only drugs online operate illegally.
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