Arizona Substance Abuse Coalition/FDA: ‘Know Your Source’ for Prescription Medication

Doug Herbert, a retired Drug Enforcement Agent and volunteer with the Arizona Substance Abuse Coalition spoke with Arizona’s Fountain Hills Times about the “elephant in the room” that is counterfeit drugs in America.

Herbert shared the story of a 17-year-old high school baseball player who was found dead in his bedroom by his father of a fentanyl overdose.  The source of his deadly fentanyl is unknown, but the suspicion is he took a counterfeit pill laced with fentanyl.

Herbert notes that pharmaceuticals are the number one counterfeit product and a billion dollar industry, and that the enforcement of opioid prescription restrictions have had the unintended consequence of providing an opening for cartel operations. “The criminal organizations have filled the void with counterfeits laced with fentanyl.”

The FDA “Know Your Source” program emphasizes that the only safe medication to take is prescription medication from a “licensed doctor, and obtain your drugs from a known pharmacy.”

Counterfeit medication can be deadly. “The first time you purchase [counterfeit drugs], may also be your last.”

Learn more about “know your source” by visiting https://www.fda.gov/drugs/resourcesforyou/healthprofessionals/ucm389121.htm