Internet Savvy Seniors Need to be Savvy About the Threat of Counterfeit Drugs

The Internet is becoming a very familiar place to shop and spend time for seniors, according to the most recent report by Pew. They discovered that 57% of Internet users over 65 are interested in dealing with their healthcare via the Internet.¹ There is concern in some quarters, however, that seniors may be more likely than other Internet users to be taken in by fake online pharmacies. One Pennsylvania county has gone so far as to invest in educating seniors about the dangers of counterfeit drugs.²

Melanie Haiken, writing for MSN Healthy Living, describes what she sees as the seven scariest categories of counterfeit drugs.³ Among them are several types of medications often prescribed to seniors—cancer, cardiovascular medication, antibiotics/antivirals, and treatments for chronic ailments such as Alzheimer’s and Diabetes. The now notorious incident of counterfeit Avastin turning up in three different batches at US oncologists’ offices is only the most dramatic example of counterfeit medications appearing on the US market.⁴

Since 2005, the FDA has issued several warnings about counterfeit medications important to seniors. In 2005, they warned about fraudulent Lipitor for sale in the United Kingdom and available to US residents via unlicensed online pharmacies.⁵ In 2010, counterfeit versions of the Influenza antiviral, Tamiflu were found for sale on the Internet in the United States.⁶ In September of 2012, warning letters⁷ were sent to 20 US doctors concerning batches of counterfeit osteoporosis treatments they may have purchased from suppliers in Canada and other countries.⁸

Canadian seniors have also had to contend with the threat of counterfeit drugs. In 2005 the first case of counterfeit pharmaceuticals was reported in Canada. Counterfeit versions of treatments for hypertension and angina were handed out to patients, 11 of whom subsequently died.⁹ In 2010, Health Canada, Canada’s food and drug administration, identified three websites that were selling counterfeits versions of cancer and other drugs to unsuspecting Canadians.¹⁰

As seniors take to the Internet in even greater numbers, will they be able to spot the difference between an FDA-approved online pharmacy,¹¹ and a fake pharmacy that only claims to be in Canada?¹²

1. Partnership for Safe Medicines, November 09, 2012, “Seniors Can Learn To Save Money Safely When Shopping For Medicine Online,” http://www.safemedicines.org/2012/11/seniors-can-learn-to-save money-safely-when-shopping-for-medicine-online-479.html.

2. Partnership for Safe Medicines, March 25, 2011, “Protective Services For Senior Citizens Focus On Counterfeit Drug Scams,” http://www.safemedicines.org/2011/03/protective-services-for-senior-citizens-focus-on-counterfeit-drug-scams-192.html.

3. MSN Healthy Living, “7 Scariest Counterfeit Drugs,” http://healthyliving.msn.com/health wellness/7-scariest-counterfeit-drugs.

4. Partnership for Safe Medicines, February 5, 2013, “Update On Fake Avastin – FDA Warnings In 28 States, Six Prosecutions,” http://www.safemedicines.org/2013/01/fda-warnings-in28-states-six-prosecutions-511.html.

5. FDA, July 29, 2005, “FDA Alerts U.S. Residents to Recall of Counterfeit “Lipitor” Sold in the United Kingdom,” http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/2005/ucm108469.htm.

6. FDA, June, 17, 2010, “Tamiflu: Counterfeit Product Sold on Internet,” http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch/SafetyInformation/SafetyAlertsforHumanMedicalProducts/ucm216183.htm.

7. FDA Warning Letter to Aspiris General Clinic, September 10, 2012, http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Drugs/DrugSafety/DrugIntegrityandSupplyChainSecurity/UCM320533.pdf.

8. Partnership for Safe Medicines, January 24, 2013, “How Safe Are Your Osteoporosis Drugs? Where Did Your Doctor Buy Them?,” http://www.safemedicines.org/2013/01/the-us-food-and-drug-administrationfda-has-issued-warning-letters-to-20-us-doctors-that-they.html.

9. Criminal Intelligence Service Canada, May 2010, “Counterfeit Pharmaceuticals in Canada,” http://www.cisc.gc.ca/pharmaceuticals/pharmaceuticals_e.html.

10. CBC News, November 3, 2010, “Websites sell counterfeit drugs: Health Canada,” http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/story/2010/11/03/online-pharmacy-web-sites-health-canada.html.

11. Partnership for Safe Medicines, October 1, 2012, “FDA Wants You To Be Safe When Buying Drugs Online,” http://www.safemedicines.org/2012/10/fda-wants-you-to-be-safe-when-buying-drugs-online-475.html.

12. Partnership for Safe Medicines, June 19, 2012, “FDA Cites 2 Canadian Pharmacies For Offering Unapproved Drugs To Americans,” http://www.safemedicines.org/2012/06/fda-cites-2-canadian-pharmacies-for-offering-unapproved-drugs-to-americans-441.html.