Fake Swine Flu Meds Pop Up Online
By Elizabeth Scarborough
POSTED: Tuesday, October 20, 2009
UPDATED: 1:06 pm CDT October 20,
2009
HOUSTON -- Fake swine flu medications are popping up all over the Internet, but officials warn that buyers probably won't get what's advertised, KPRC Local 2 reported Monday.
It may look like a person could have Tamiflu at their fingertips online, but doctors said to be very careful buying it or anything else that makes promises about treating swine flu.
"When you purchase from the Internet, you don't have that reliability. You can't verify it, certainly, and you can't guarantee what's in there," said Dr. Anil Thaker of Memorial Hermann Hospital Memorial City. "There may also be some product you're not supposed to be taking and that could harm you."
The Food and Drug Administration purchased several products online, including what was supposed to be Tamiflu.
"One of the orders, which arrived in an unmarked envelope with a postmark from India, consisted of unlabeled white tablets taped between two pieces of paper. When analyzed by the FDA, the tablets were found to contain talc and acetaminophen, but none of the active ingredient …" the FDA said in a statement.
They found many sites did not require prescriptions. Some pills didn't arrive fast enough to treat someone if they were actually sick.
The FDA put out a list of fraudulent H1N1 products online, dozens of products promising to diagnose, prevent, treat, or cure H1N1 influenza. Each distributor or maker was sent a warning letter from the FDA.
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