Consumer Group Says Americans Vulnerable to, Unaware of Counterfeit Drugs

Education Needed: Survey Shows Consumers Unsure of How to Spot Counterfeit Drugs, Practicing Unsafe Rx Purchasing Habits Online

Release Date: June 21, 2004
Contact: 202-835-3323, media@nclnet.org

WASHINGTON, DC—The National Consumers League (NCL) announced today its concerns for American consumers’ vulnerability to counterfeit drugs, a growing problem given the recent rise in government investigations, the explosion of Internet sales of prescription drugs, and new survey results that demonstrate consumers’ inability to identify suspect drugs. According to the new survey released today by NCL, consumers are often turning to the ‘Net for their prescription drug needs, and most don’t know how to tell whether the drugs sold are legitimate. The online survey of 1,013 adults aged 18 and older, conducted by Opinion Research Corporation in May, revealed that more than half of those surveyed believe there is no way to tell if a prescription drug sold online is real or counterfeit, and among those who have bought drugs online, nearly one-third said they were not required to have a prescription to make the purchase.

“Unfortunately, this is a bad time for consumers to be unaware of how to identify counterfeit drugs and the potential dangers they pose,” said Linda Golodner, NCL president. Incidents of counterfeit drugs have increased, since the 1990s, when the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) investigated an average of five cases a year to more than 20 investigations per year since 2000. Just last week, the FDA announced that an analysis of three common prescription drugs purchased via a Web site were not only fake but also substandard and potentially dangerous.

The FDA has responded to growing concerns about the safety of the U.S. drug supply by calling for stricter licensing agreements, improved reporting systems, increased international collaboration, and education for consumers and health professionals. In response, the National Consumers League has initiated a partnership with the FDA to provide alerts and information to consumers about counterfeit drugs.

Survey Findings

The ORC survey asked consumers a variety of questions about their experiences with drugs they thought may have been counterfeit, their understanding of what they should do if they encountered a suspect drug, and about purchasing drugs from online pharmacies more generally.

Spotting Counterfeits

• The vast majority (93 percent) of those surveyed said they’d never purchased a drug they suspected was counterfeit; 4 percent said they had. Of those, one third did nothing about it; 40 percent told their pharmacist, and 34 percent told their doctor.
• Nearly one in five respondents said that, if they suspected a drug was counterfeit, they’d do nothing about it; 69 percent thought that telling the pharmacist who dispensed the drug would be the best thing, 46 percent said they’d report it to the police, to their doctor (46 percent), or to the FDA (43 percent). One third would report it to the pharmaceutical manufacturer.

Online Rx Purchases

• 15 percent of the respondents said that they have purchased a drug online, and more than one in four (26 percent) of those over 55 have purchased online.
• 30 percent of those who’ve purchased Rx meds online said they were not asked for a prescription before making the purchase. Only half (46 percent) disagreed with the statement “if I purchase my prescriptions from an online drug seller, I do not have to see my own doctor to obtain a prescription.”
• When asked about judging the legitimacy of online pharmacies, respondents seemed to want greater governmental involvement. Most agreed that the FDA should approve all locations where prescriptions are sold (60 percent) and that state health departments should provide a list of legitimate sites (56 percent).

“Getting fooled by counterfeit drugs could mean wasting your money on ineffective medicine, but it could also mean taking grave health risks with drugs that aren’t what they pretend to be,” said Golodner. “The FDA, the companies that manufacture drugs, and organizations like NCL are working to keep counterfeit drugs out of the U.S. supply, but consumers can also play a role in making sure their drugs are what they’re supposed to be.”

NCL released the survey today and announced new resources for consumers about how to identify and avoid counterfeit prescription drugs — and about the safest way to purchase prescription drugs online — on its Fraud.org Web site. Some sample tips:

Tips from NCL for Avoiding Counterfeit Drugs

• Know your medications. If you know the size, shape, color, taste, and side effects of the prescriptions you take, you can more easily identify possible counterfeits.
• Pay attention to packaging. Check for altered or unsealed containers or changes in the packaging or label.

• If you believe you have bought a counterfeit drug, report it.  Contact the pharmacist who sold you the medication. Also report your suspicions to the Food and Drug Administration’s Medwatch program.

Complete survey results, additional tips for avoiding counterfeit drugs and purchasing drugs online, and help about reporting suspected counterfeits are available at www.fraud.org.

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The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America's pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to identify, protect, represent, and advance the economic and social interests of consumers and workers. NCL is a private, nonprofit membership organization. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

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