Pharmaceutical Drugs- Is Buying Online Safe?
The FDA is cautioning the public about risks associated with buying prescriptions over the Internet. This warning is being issued comes from information the agency collected showing that 24 allegedly related Internet sites may be involved in the distribution of counterfeit prescriptions.
Three times during recent months, The Food And Drug Administration received information that counterfeit versions of Xenical 120 mg capsules, a drug manufactured by Hoffmann-La Roche Inc. (Roche), were purchased by three consumers from two different Internet sites. Xenical is an FDA-approved drug used to assist overweight people who meet particular weight and height requirements lose weight and maintain weight loss. These capsules ordered from the website did not have the active ingredient orlistat. This is the active ingredient in authentic Xenical.
In fact, laboratory analysis conducted by Roche and submitted to the FDA confirmed| the laboratory annalists at Roche conducted and submitted the study to the Food And Drug Administration confirming that one capsule contained sibutramine, which is the active ingredient in Meridia, an FDA-approved prescriptions manufactured by Abbott Laboratories. While this drug is also used to lose and maintain weight loss, it is not intended for people in certain patient populations and should not be substituted for other weight loss drugs.
In addition, the drug interactions profile vary between Xenical and sibutramine, as is the dosing frequency; sibutramine is administered once daily while Xenical should be taken talc and starch. According to Roche, these samples were marked with a valid Roche lot number of B2306 and were labeled with an expiration date of April 2007. The proper expiration date for this lot number is actually March 2005. The two websites identified as involved in this incident as pilspharm and brandpills.com.
Additional research by FDA disclosed that these websites are two of 24 websites that appear on the pharmacycall365.com homepage listed under ‘websites” heading. Four of these websites had been previously identified by Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations as related to the distribution of counterfeit Cialis and Tamiflu.
At this point, it appears that these websites are being operated from outside of the US. Consumers should be wary, if there is no way to contact the Web site pharmacy by phone, if prices are significantly less than the competitor’s, or if no prescription from your doctor is required. FDA strongly cautions the public about the purchase of pharmaceuticals from any of these websites which may be involved in the distribution of counterfeit drugs and continues to warn the public about buying prescription drugs online.
- CF Thompson
