The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) published a report on Thursday on its 2024 Review of Notorious Markets for Counterfeiting and Piracy, which focuses on fraudulent online pharmaceutical prescriptions.
“Counterfeiting and piracy is a shared global concern, harming people not just in the United States but also other countries,” said U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Katherine Tai.
What is most concerning, Tai said, are the illegal online pharmacies prescribing counterfeit drugs.
“That is why this year’s report looks further at illicit online pharmacies and counterfeit medicines,” she said.
In addition, it examines the health and safety risks posed by taking these counterfeit medications, she said.
The report lists 38 online and 33 physical markets allegedly engaged in “substantial trademark counterfeiting or copyright piracy.”
Despite the convenience and rise in popularity of legitimate online pharmacies and telehealth services, bad actors who engage in criminal activities have imitated these platforms to skirt laws, regulations, and inspection systems to make money off counterfeit drugs that are made from “substandard, unregulated, and potentially dangerous materials,” the report said.
“Just as with other counterfeit goods, medicines bearing counterfeit trademarks are products that are deliberately and fraudulently mislabeled to look like legitimate well-known brands,” the report stated.
The report stated that 96 percent of the 35,000 online pharmacies are violating the law.
“Illicit online pharmacy websites will often mimic a legitimate e-commerce platform with features like product navigation, a cart system, ‘About Us’ pages, privacy policies, and even false assurances of FDA approval, misleading consumers into trusting the legitimacy of the products they are purchasing,” the report said.
Many of the counterfeit drugs have been known to contain the wrong dose or no active ingredient at all.
Such has been the case with Adderall prescriptions and cancer drugs sold online, the report said.
“In some cases, the consumption of counterfeit medicines has led to severe side effects, including death,” the report said.
In September 2024, the Department of Justice (DOJ) unsealed charges against 18 people for the manufacturing and sales of pills resembling legitimate pharmaceuticals, according to the report. The defendants face a maximum of life in prison and a minimum of 20 years.
The report stated that the DOJ had also seized nine website domains used by the defendants to sell the counterfeit pills.
The Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) Office of Criminal Investigations Cybercrime Investigations Unit searches the internet and dark web for illegal activity to disrupt and dismantle “illicit online pharmacies selling counterfeit drugs, including fentanyl, through arrests and asset seizures.”
“Consumers must continue to be made aware of the risks associated with purchasing medications through illicit unlicensed online pharmacies and strong enforcement measures must continue to be implemented to combat the growing threat of counterfeit drugs,” the report said. “Adequate and effective enforcement against counterfeiting plays a key role in reducing the potential dangers of counterfeit products, including counterfeit medicines.”
