Illegal Online Pharmacies Still Selling Potentially Dangerous Acne Drug

A number of illegal online pharmacies are selling an acne-fighting drug that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) pulled from the market last year.

Accutane first appeared in the U.S. in 1982, but over the years it was revealed that the medication could cause a number of serious side effects including inflammatory bowel disease and birth defects, according to DrugWatch.com. Eventually, the FDA pulled the popular acne drug from the market in 2009.

However, a number of illegal online pharmacies still market drugs with the Accutane name. While the medication was used to fight only severe acne, these online pharmacies do not require a prescription, so people who do not need the drug have access to it. In addition, many of these illegal online pharmacies fail to give consumers the proper warning and prescription information for the drugs they sell.

Americans are protected against counterfeit drugs if they purchase them offline from a licensed U.S. pharmacy, or if they purchase them online from a pharmacy that has been certified by the Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites, or VIPPS, program.