Illegal online pharmacies are increasingly selling counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl and methamphetamine to customers thinking they’re purchasing prescription drugs from legitimate sources, warned the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
“As Americans increasingly turn to online pharmacies to purchase necessary medications, DEA is issuing this Public Safety Alert to warn of an increase in illegal online, often foreign-based websites that are deceptively targeting American consumers,” the DEA said in a release.
Customers think they’re buying Oxycodone, Adderall and Xanax since the websites often look legit with 24-hour customer service, a U.S. website address and professional-looking design.
Websites operating out India and the Dominican Republic that claim to be legitimate U.S. sites are “working with drug traffickers to fulfill online orders with fake pills,” the DEA said.
In 2023, the DEA seized more than 80 million fentanyl-laced fake pills and around 12,000 pounds of fentanyl powder, equating to more than 390 million lethal doses of fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that is 50 times more potent than heroin. Methamphetamine is a highly addictive stimulant.
On Sept. 30, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York announced charges against 18 people involved in a scheme to manufacture and distribute millions of deadly counterfeit pharmaceuticals through fake online pharmacies in India, the Dominican Republic and the US. At least nine of their customers died of narcotics poisoning between August 2023 and June 2024.
Targeting consumers with fake pills is not new. Three years ago, the DEA warned the public about the increase in the fatality and availability of fake prescription pills containing fentanyl and meth.
Legitimate pharmacies always require a doctor’s prescription; have a physical address and telephone number in the US; are licensed in the state(s) in which they are operating and doing business; and
have a state-licensed pharmacist on staff to answer patient questions, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Consumers can check the FDA’s BeSafeRx campaign website for related resources and tools.
