FDA Cracks Down On Illegal Online Pharmacies

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration cracked down this week on illegal online websites that market potentially dangerous, unlicensed prescription drugs to U.S. consumers. The crackdown took place in support of the 7th annual International Internet Week of Action (IIWA) under the INTERPOL-sponsored Operation Pangea VII.

Together with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the FDA examined U.S. based international mail facilities and seized illegal prescription drugs supplied from online sources. A total of 19, 618 packages containing drugs presumably from Australia, UK, Canada, and New Zealand were seized. Further inspection revealed that the packages contained unapproved or possible counterfeit drugs from India, China, Mexico, Australia, and New Zealand, among others.

Inspection of mail facilities in Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago resulted in the detention or seizure of 583 packages. These contained insulin, estrogen, human chorionic gonadotropin, and sildenafil citrate, among others. The FDA notified Internet service providers and domain name registrars about the nearly 2,000 websites selling pharmaceutical products in violation of the U.S. law.

Douglas Stearn, director of the FDA’s Office of Enforcement and Import Operations, said, “When consumers buy prescription drugs from outside the legitimate supply chain, they cannot know if the medicines they receive are counterfeit or even if they contain the right active ingredient in the proper dosages. Consumers have little or no legal recourse if they experience a reaction to the unregulated medication or if they receive no therapeutic benefit at all.” Stearn added that these online illegal pharmacies can also lead to credit card fraud, digital viruses, or identity theft.

“Many illegal online pharmacies use slick website templates and empty guarantees to convince U.S. consumers that the inexpensive drugs they sell are the exact same prescription drugs that are dispensed in the U.S. The FDA will continue to leverage our resources and strengthen our national and international partnerships to shed light on these Internet-based fraudulent activities which target consumers,” said Philip J. Walsky, acting director of the FDA‘s Office of Criminal Investigations.