Public Safety Alert

DEA Issues Warning About Illegal Online Pharmacies

October 4, 2024 – The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has seen an increase in illegal online pharmacies selling and shipping counterfeit pills made with fentanyl and methamphetamine to unsuspecting customers in the United States who believe they are purchasing real pharmaceutical drugs such as Oxycodone, Adderall, Xanax, and other drugs from legitimate pharmacies.

As Americans increasingly turn to online pharmacies to purchase necessary medications [1], DEA is issuing this Public Safety Alert to warn of an increase in illegal online, often foreign-based websites that are deceptively targeting American consumers. DEA has identified websites being operated in India and the Dominican Republic. Many of these sites purport to be legitimate, U.S. based or FDA approved sites, but are actually working with drug traffickers to fulfill online orders with fake pills. These website operators are going to great lengths to make the websites look like legitimate online pharmacies – they offer 24-hour customer service, post online reviews and safety facts, and offer deep discounts to deceive customers into believing they were buying from a reputable business.

Often these illegal, online websites use U.S. website addresses and professional-looking designs to appear legitimate when, in fact, they are not. These companies operate illegally, deliberately deceiving American customers into believing they are purchasing safe, regulated medications when they are actually selling fake, counterfeit pills made with fentanyl or methamphetamine. Fake medications can lead to serious health risks, including harmful side effects, ineffective treatment, and even death.

During Operation Press Your Luck, announced on Monday, September 30, 2024, DEA discovered that a U.S. based victim had ordered what she believed to be oxycodone from an online pharmacy, only to receive a fake pill made with fentanyl. The pill looked identical to a real oxycodone, but it was not - it was made with fentanyl and filler. Days after receiving the medication, the victim passed away from acute fentanyl poisoning as a result of taking one of the pills sent to her.

The DEA has identified the following fake pharmacies in a recent criminal investigation:
   www.Curecog.com
   www.Pharmacystoresonline.com
   www.Careonlinestore.com
   www.yourphamacy.online
   www.MD724.com
   www.Greenleafdispensarystore.com
   www.Whatishydrocodone.weebly.com
   www.Orderpainkillersonline.com
   www.USAMedstores.com

If you have purchased alleged medication from any of these websites, you should immediately stop using it and contact your local DEA office or report the incident here.

The only safe prescription medications are those prescribed by a licensed medical provider and dispensed by a trusted pharmacy.

Patients should remain vigilant when purchasing medications online.

DEA remains committed to the safety and health of the American people, which is why we are urging consumers to exercise extreme caution when purchasing medications online. While it can be difficult to identify an illegal online pharmacy, the following are possible red flags that a website is not a legitimate:

- Sells prescription drugs without requiring a valid prescription from a healthcare provider
- Offers much cheaper prices than what is typically seen in the market
- Lists prices in a foreign currency
- Does not contain proof of a valid pharmacy state license or DEA registration
- Medicine arrives in broken or damaged packaging or in a foreign language
- Medicine does not have an expiration date or is expired
- Medicine looks different from what you have received in the past from your trusted pharmacist

For more information on how to keep you and your loved ones safe from illegal and fake pills, visit DEA’s One Pill Can Kill resource page. Visit the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s BeSafeRx campaign page for information on how to safely buy prescription medicines online and to locate a state-licensed online pharmacy. You can also contact your state board of pharmacy to verify a pharmacy’s license.

DEA is committed to working jointly with the medical community to ensure legitimate controlled substances are not being diverted for illegal use. Learn more about DEA’s Diversion Control Division here.
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[1] The characteristics and operations of “online pharmacies” investigated in relation to medicines popularized during the coronavirus pandemic: a cross-sectional study - PMC (nih.gov)