Ordering drugs over the Internet may seem convenient, but the Food and Drug Administration is warning that the vast majority of online pharmacies are fake and probably selling counterfeit drugs.
The FDA launched a national campaign Friday called BeSafeRx to alert the public to the dangers of online drugstores and fake or adulterated medicine, while offering tips on how to spot an illegal pharmacy. (ACSH has been warning consumers of the dangers of fake online pharmacies for years.)
ACSH s Dr. Gilbert Ross points out that people ordering from fraudulent pharmacies risk getting inactive drugs or even toxic substitutes. Also, anyone involved with online pharmacies that sell controlled substances, such as opioid painkillers, without a personal interaction are committing crimes, he adds.
The lure of cheap drugs on the Internet involves playing Russian roulette with your health and maybe your life, Dr. Ross warns. And if they re breaking the law by sending you opioids, they re not going to think twice about stealing your identity. Don t do it!
