Unlawful on-line pharmacies are promoting fentanyl, meth-laced drugs: DEA

Unlawful on-line pharmacies are more and more promoting counterfeit drugs laced with fentanyl and methamphetamine to prospects considering they’re buying pharmaceuticals from professional sources, warned the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

“As People more and more flip to on-line pharmacies to buy mandatory drugs, DEA is issuing this Public Security Alert to warn of a rise in unlawful on-line, usually foreign-based web sites which can be deceptively focusing on American customers,” the DEA mentioned in a launch.

Clients suppose they’re shopping for Oxycodone, Adderall and Xanax because the web sites usually look legit with 24-hour customer support, a U.S. web site tackle and professional-looking design.

Web sites working out India and the Dominican Republic that declare to be professional U.S. websites are “working with drug traffickers to meet on-line orders with pretend drugs,” the DEA mentioned.

In 2023, the DEA seized greater than 80 million fentanyl-laced pretend drugs and round 12,000 kilos of fentanyl powder, equating to greater than 390 million deadly doses of fentanyl, an artificial opioid that’s 50 times stronger than heroin. Methamphetamine is a extremely addictive stimulant.

On Sept. 30, the U.S. Legal professional’s Workplace for the Southern District of New York announced costs in opposition to 18 individuals concerned in a scheme to fabricate and distribute thousands and thousands of lethal counterfeit prescription drugs via pretend on-line pharmacies in India, the Dominican Republic and the US. Not less than 9 of their prospects died of narcotics poisoning between August 2023 and June 2024.

Concentrating on customers with pretend drugs will not be new. Three years in the past, the DEA warned the general public concerning the improve within the fatality and availability of faux prescription drugs containing fentanyl and meth.

Professional pharmacies at all times require a physician’s prescription; have a bodily tackle and phone quantity within the US; are licensed within the state(s) during which they’re working and doing enterprise; and
have a state-licensed pharmacist on employees to reply affected person questions, in line with the U.S. Meals and Drug Administration.

Shoppers can test the FDA’s BeSafeRx campaign web site for associated sources and instruments.