Fake drugs are dangerous

I do not wish to upset the mods by recreating a locked thread, but nor do I wish any guys here (or elsewhere) to suffer at the hands of the criminal gangs involved in counterfeiting medicines etc. who sell those “medicines” via the internet. So I would like to issue my own warning about buying drugs via the internet.

I am not talking about buying real meds on the internet for less than they cost locally. I am talking about very rich criminals selling dangerous or ineffective substances in the guise of real medications (The fakes have got so good lately that the drug companies themselves can often no longer spot the fakes without testing the contents in the lab.) We’re talking about fake insulin, anti-cancer drugs, “Viagra”, antibiotics, anti-depressants, anabolic steroids etc.

I do not wish to go into too many details, but large quantities of fake drugs are intercepted by customs in Europe and this is believed to be just a small percentage of what is actually being imported. (Inn 2008 34 million fake tablets were intercepted in one operation. An Interpol-lead action in 2010 year lead to over 70 arrests. A crackdown by customs at one port of entry in Holland found over a million fake tablets in one week just coming in in the post.

Perhaps as much as 60% of “medicines” bought online may be fake or substandard and for medications for ED that figure may be higher.

The link below is an information leaflet (pdf) about Fake Medicines produced by the European Alliance for Access to Safe Medicine (an EU organisation)

v35.pixelcms.com/ams/assets/312296678531/EA677_EAASM_A4_Patient_Info_Leaflet_FINAL.pdf

I’ll quote the key points:


Fake medicines can be dangerous if you take them.
- The criminals who make the fake medicine may not provide truthful information about the
ingredients or who made the medicine.
- Fake medicines may be produced in unsupervised, dirty environments, and therefore may be unhygienic and contain dangerous ingredients.
- Taking fake medicines could prevent you from feeling better and stop your condition from improving.
If you take a fake medicine that has little or no active ingredient, it may affect your medical condition, and cause side effects which can result in irreversible harm or death

If buying online:
- Do not buy from sites that offer to sell you prescription medicines without a prescription, or sell medicines that are not approved by The European Medicines Agency.
- Do not buy from websites that do not have a registered pharmacist available to answer questions.
- Do not buy from websites that offer ‘bulk discounts’, ‘sample packs’, ‘new cure’ or ‘amazing results’. It is illegal in Europe to offer bulk discounts on prescription medicines, so do not trust companies that offer this.
- If the website offers an ‘online consultation’, be very careful. Unlicensed websites often offer this service to make them look professional and legal.
- Only buy from safe, reputable pharmacies.
- Make sure the online pharmacy is properly regulated. You can check this with your national regulator

Here are some steps that can help you avoid taking fake medicines.
- Check the packaging
- Make sure you know what every aspect of your medicine’s packaging looks like, including the blister pack or dispensing system (if it has one).
- Every time you renew your prescription, compare these aspects against your previous pack. You are looking for even the tiniest difference in clarity of print, colour, seals, etc.
- Check that the medicine is in date and that the dosage is correct.
- Check that there is a patient information leaflet in the correct language.
- Check the medicine
- Check carefully that it is consistent in colour and texture with your previous prescription.
- Does it crumble?
- Is the colour different from your normal medicine?
- Does it smell or taste different?


Please be careful guys! I would not like to think that there is a single one of us suffering from ED simply due to having bought a blue pill on the web that just contains chalk and dye. Let alone that that are taking something toxic in the belief that it the real thing.

Caveat Emptor. Buyer beware.

Alf
(edited - typo in link)

Post Edited (English Alf) : 11/16/2011 8:31:41 AM (GMT-7)

Alf - where were you yesterday... You posted the detailed version of what I failed to get across.

davidg - clocknut summed it up in your thread:

Wow, this thread has it all....attacks on "Big Pharma," attacks on Dr. Samadi, attacks on fellow HW members, and attacks on insurance companies.

 

Is there a full moon?

If we can avoid doing that, we can have a civil conversation.

AND YES, there are many GOOD companies in other counties that make drugs that are fine and dandy.

Alf,

Yes, thanks for getting this back on topic, and if it stays civil, it is a valid discussion that I support.

I locked the thread because it had enough rule 4 violations that I gave up making a list. I've had emails about it this morning, both sides represented.

4. No posts that attack, insult, "flame", defame, or abuse members or non-members.   Respect other members of the community and don’t belittle, make fun off, or insult another member or non-member.  Decisions about health and well-being are highly personal, individual choices.  "Flaming" and insults, however, will not be tolerated. Agree to disagree. This applies to both the forums and chat.

 

I could also mention Rule 1, which says no discussion of illegal activity.

 

Prior to surgery I was told that if I was lucky any ED I might have should be treatable with somethng like Viagra, so I investigated little blue diamonds before surgery.
I found out very quickly that it was exceedingly simple to be offered tablets by very suspect guys in person let alone over the internet. A tab slipped over/under the counter etc in premises that had nothing whatever to do with legal medications. Single tablets cut off a sheet, no questions asked etc.
The crooks are out there guys. And many of the crooks involved in counterfeiting medications understandably choose to operate out of the countries where there is less or no regulation.

Alf