Unfortunately, with the high demand and high pricing come plenty of opportunities for criminals to find a market for their counterfeit medications. The dangers of counterfeit drugs cannot be underestimated. The fake version of prescription medication may contain less than the necessary amount of drugs per pill, or it could contain too much of the medication, and both situations can lead to potential damage to your body, even death.
Recently, as fake medications have begun to flood the online markets, authorities are starting to pay more attention to these activities, seizing fake prescription medications and prosecuting the groups responsible for their distribution. They are also striving to educate people about the dangers of purchasing fake medications and the importance of buying your essential medication from a reputable source.
In the UK, the onslaught of fake medications being imported and sold on the street has reached alarming heights. More than ₤11m worth of unlicensed erectile dysfunction medications, including fake Viagra, were seized in the UK last year alone.
The Little Blue Pill
Since its arrival on the scene in the 1990s, Viagra has become one of the most popular and commonly prescribed medications in the world. Billions of Viagra pills are being produced and prescribed every year. Known primarily for its use as an erectile dysfunction medication, Viagra originally began its life as an experimental blood pressure medication. Viagra functions as a vasodilator, which means the chemicals that make up the medication act on the body, causing the blood vessels to dilate, or expand on the inside.
This decreases back-pressure in the blood vessel, allowing the blood to flow more smoothly through the vessels and improve the quality of the body’s circulation.
Viagra’s usefulness as an erectile dysfunction aid was found quite by accident. While testing the effectiveness of the medication as a blood measure medication, researchers discovered that the rats that were being tested were experiencing other side effects. Specifically, the rats were not only achieving erections, but they appeared to be maintaining them for a longer than usual period of time. Noting this effect, researchers continued testing, moving on to a human.
To see if the medication was truly the cause of the improved function in the rats, the medication was tested on men, and the results were the same. The men who were taking the medication found that they were able to get and keep an erection more successfully when they had taken the medication.
The medication’s producer, Pfizer, decided to market the drug as the first erectile dysfunction oral medication, and Viagra appeared on the market in the late 1990s. The successful marketing of the drug, together with a clear need on the part of the male population, took Viagra sales into the stratosphere. With popularity, though, always comes imitation.
Faking It
There have been counterfeit medications made and sold for as long as there have been medication in existence. Once it is discovered that a substance can cure a disease or successfully treat an illness, individuals will try to take advantage of the situation, providing low-quality drugs or drugs that are made of corn starch or filled with sugar.
Counterfeit medications, including fake Viagra, are very common in other countries, especially countries that have few or no rules to regulate the manufacturing of drugs. These medications often use the incorrect amounts of chemicals necessary to create the medication, and sometimes they use harmful ingredients in their haste to produce more products faster.
These fake medications are then packaged to look like the original product, often with the same coloring, shape, size, and texture. Exterior packaging is duplicated as well. If you compare a package of Genuine Viagra to a box of fake Viagra, it may be tough for you to tell the difference between the two.
The only sure way to tell if a drug is counterfeit or not is to have it tested in a chemical laboratory. Since so many counterfeit drugs look so similar to the authentic medications, the only real way to prove that medication is real is to break down its chemical components and compares them to the ingredients of the first medication as provided by the manufacturer.
It is estimated that as much as 30% of medications being sold throughout the developing world are counterfeit. Medications for the treatment of cancer, heart disease, and HIV/ AIDS have all been found to be weak or fake. Recently, the World Health Organization issued an alert related to fake malaria medication being marketed as real throughout West and Central Africa.
In the industrialized world, however, including the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and the European Union member countries, the amount of counterfeit medications being sold is much lower, less than 1%. Unfortunately, the vast majority of that 1% is being sold via the Internet.
Pricing and availability issues have spurred the rise of the online pharmacy. The ability to purchase medications from another country at a significantly lower price, or to purchase medications in greater amounts, has been a great benefit to people who want more access to the medications they need, and more privacy when purchasing their medications.
Unfortunately, many online pharmacies are not entirely legitimate. Some have no pharmacist available to answer questions or consult on a drug question or issue.
In some extreme cases, an online pharmacy may not even be licensed to distribute medications.
If you are taking a Viagra prescription and you want to try and get your medication for less, an online pharmacy is an ideal solution. You can reduce your chances of getting a counterfeit drug by first checking out your online pharmacy. Check that they are licensed, and make sure that their license is active and in good standing. Never buy medication from an open market. Make sure that the online pharmacy has a pharmacist who is available to answer questions and consult as needed.
When you receive your Viagra, check the packaging and make sure that it is original and shows no signs of tampering. Look for poor-quality printing or otherwise strange-looking seams that could indicate that the product is counterfeit. Finally, if you have any doubt that the medication you have received is real, don’t take it. Contact your local pharmacist or talk to your doctor, and they can advise you what steps to take.
Conclusion
As long as new medications are being developed, there will be fake versions of those medications being developed as well. Shopping with a wary eye and a good degree of knowledge about your medication will help you to navigate the online prescription drug world safely and successfully.
eDrugstore facilitates access to a host of FDA-approved medications, including Viagra and other erectile dysfunction medications. To learn more about Viagra, erectile dysfunction and your sexual health, please visit the eDrugstore website.
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