Q & A on Counterfeit Drugs
1. What is a counterfeit drug?
2. Why can counterfeit products be dangerous?
3. How do I know if I have a counterfeit drug?
4. What can I do to help protect myself from counterfeit drugs?
5. How can I best protect myself when filling my prescription online?
1. What is a counterfeit drug?
The World Health Organization defines a counterfeit medicine as:
A medicine that deliberately and fraudulently mislabeled with respect to identity and/or source. Counterfeiting can apply to both branded and generic products, Counterfeit products may include the correct ingredients or the wrong ingredients, or they may be without active ingredients, with insufficient active ingredients or with fake packaging.
2. Why can counterfeit drugs be dangerous?
Counterfeit products are not authentic approved products. For this reason, consuming them may be dangerous because they may contain little to no active ingredient (the medicine that makes the drug work) and may not deliver the therapeutic benefit that the patient needs. On the other hand, counterfeit products may contain too much active ingredient, which could also be dangerous to the patient’s health. Furthermore, counterfeit products may contain harmful ingredients and may be contaminated because they are often made in substandard, unregulated, and/or unsanitary environments with no concern for safety.
3. How do I know if I have a counterfeit drug?
Consumers may not know that they have received a counterfeit drug because counterfeiters attempt to mimic authentic product. For this reason, it is important to purchase your products from a reputable source whom you know and trust. Understanding the source from whom you are obtaining your product is the best way to ensure the safety of your product.
To find out more about the product you are using you may refer to the Physicians-Desk Reference.
If you suspect that you may have received a counterfeit product, contact the source from which you obtained the product, the prescribing physician or Bristol-Myers Squibb at 800-321-1335.
4. What can I do to help protect myself from counterfeit products?
If you suspect that you may have received a counterfeit Bristol-Myers Squibb product, contact the source from which you obtained the product, the prescribing physician, or Bristol-Myers Squibb at 800-321-1335.
Know your product, and evaluate your product and packaging carefully. Check the color, texture, taste, shape and packaging each time you get your prescription filled.
Make sure that you understand the source from which you obtained your medicine, such as a licensed pharmacist or pharmacy.
Ask for your medicine in the product manufacturer’s original packaging if possible.
5. How can I best protect myself when filling my prescription online?
When buying over the internet, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration cites the following steps to ensure the safety of your product: