The DEA has issued a warning that counterfeit pills purchased outside of a licensed pharmacy are illegal, dangerous, and potentially deadly.
The Drug Enforcement Administration has issued a Public Safety Alert warning Americans of the alarming increase in the lethality and availability of fake prescription pills containing fentanyl and methamphetamine.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 80-100 times stronger than morphine.
Fake (counterfeit pills purchase on social media and e-commerce platforms) are illegally manufactured by criminal drug networks and are made to look like real prescription opioid medications such as oxycodone (Oxycontin®, Percocet®), hydrocodone (Vicodin®), and alprazolam (Xanax®); or stimulants like amphetamines (Adderall®).
Counterfeit pills brought into the United States are widely produced in Mexico supplied with chemicals from China. DEA lab analyses reveal that two out of every five fake pills with fentanyl contain a potentially lethal dose.
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This alert does not apply to legitimate pharmaceutical medications prescribed by medical professionals and dispensed by licensed pharmacists.
The legitimate prescription supply chain is not impacted. Anyone filling a prescription at a licensed pharmacy can be confident that the medications they receive are safe when taken as directed by a medical professional.
Fake (counterfeit) opioids and stimulants are often sold on social media and e-commerce platforms.
If you have any questions or concerns about your prescribed medications, talk to your Canyonlands Healthcare Pharmacist or your provider.
- Counterfeit pills are more lethal than ever before. The number of DEA-seized counterfeit pills with fentanyl has jumped nearly 430 percent since 2019. DEA lab testing reveals that 2 out of every 5 pills with fentanyl contain a potentially lethal dose.
- The only safe medications are ones prescribed by a trusted medical professional and dispensed by a licensed pharmacist.
Learn more at #One Pill Can Kill and Download the Fact Sheet
