The United States Food and Drug Administration has begun taking legal action against thousands of illegal online pharmacy websites. — Click to Tweet.
Since initiating the online manhunt, dubbed “Pangea V,” the FDA has managed to shut down over 22,000 websites, and seize over 3.7 million doses of counterfeit meds with a street value of over $11 million.
The clampdown coincides with the FDA’s annual “Internet Week of Action,” now in its fifth iteration, which is a worldwide effort to crack down on illegal online pharmaceutical sales.
In addition to cracking down on illegal drugs, the FDA also launched a nationwide campaign called “Be SafeRX” to educate consumers about the potential dangers of buying medication online.
Taking the Fight Online
As everyday life becomes more connected to the Internet, counterfeiters are taking their wares off the street corners and putting them online.
The counterfeit drug business has become especially profitable, with sales experiencing a 90-percent increase from 2009, resulting in over $75 billion worldwide sales in 2010. Recognizing the very real risk these fake drugs represent, the FDA teamed with over 100 regulatory and law enforcement agencies from around the world to pinpoint and take down the producers and suppliers of these potentially dangerous counterfeit drugs.
While the stings have ended up closing thousands of independent counterfeit drug makers, the FDA eventually discovered that over 4,000 of the illegal online pharmacies could be traced back to three main companies: CanadaDrugs.com, Eyal Bar Oz, and White Forest Solutions.
Before Pangea V commenced, the companies were sent warning letters by the FDA, which stated that their websites were offering unapproved drugs to American consumers. The companies were given ten days to respond before action was taken.
Counterfeit Drugs: A Very Real Threat
The FDA says that many counterfeit drugs offered online contain unapproved or outright banned chemicals within them, and can be very dangerous. The most common illegal drugs seized during Pangea V include:
- Domperidone: A drug that was removed from the market in 1998. It has been linked to everything from irregular heart beat to death.
- Tamiflu: Marketed as a “generic tamiflu,” this illegal knockoff was found to contain the wrong active ingredient, which could lead to potentially life threatening allergic reactions.
- Accutane: Used to treat intense acne, this drug can pose extreme risk, especially to pregnant women. Accutane contains Isetretinoin, which the FDA only allows limited distribution in the United States.
The FDA also seized fake antidepressants, antibiotics, and drugs used to treat diabetes and high blood pressure, all of which could be potentially dangerous if used without consulting a healthcare professional.
Along with closing thousands of website and seizing millions of dollars in drugs, the FDA also managed to make over 79 arrests. While this is certainly a good start, the war against knockoff drugs is far from over.
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