Fox News
Expand
Browse All Video
Watch Live

You're watching...

Dangers of counterfeit drugs

Details

  • Description

    Make sure you're not being duped

  • Duration 3:52
  • Date

Clips

Also in this playlist...

Dr. Siegel's Take

Auto-advance: ON

Auto-advance
View All

Transcript

This transcript is automatically generated

And that next bottle of prescription pills listen to this story according to government reports the production of counterfeit drugs is a growing threat here in the US.

So what are the dangers and how can we make sure that we're getting what the doctor ordered.

Fox medical eighteen to doctor Marx and the -- -- -- thanks for being here I was stunned by the numbers forty million of these counterfeit drugs are being peddled somehow in the United States what's happening.

-- got on the stand we have four billion prescriptions for drugs every year which is 40% of the prescription drugs in the entire world.

Forty million of them are counterfeit.

The number one problem is on line.

People that go to get their medications.

Online without a doctor being involved without a doctors certified web site that's the number one thing got to look out for.

Let's go through some of the drugs that are in jeopardy of being counterfeited and alert our our viewers the first one types are antibiotics anti viral is what it like Tamiflu what are we need to know about it.

Well you know that's he -- aframax that's very very common at such a highly prescribed antibiotic.

And the first issue is packaging what does it look like what is the spelling correct is that is -- the label look at the pill is -- that pill you can recognize you can actually.

Ask your doctor of this is the right -- Tamiflu when we have flu epidemics -- flu outbreaks that drug goes like wildfire in the Internet is where it's sold in counterfeit.

The next one -- -- look up -- we just put it up on the screen these of the heart medication so many people take Lipitor well how can you protect yourself against.

The -- here.

Well again you have to ask your physician further prescription and you got to go to a pharmacy that he or she recommends you can't go to some pharmacy that isn't certified.

Lipitor is a huge problem -- that right now because it's going generic.

The more the drugs go generic the more varieties there are around the more likely to be counterfeit it should -- hugely growing problem here in the united.

And so and as you said you only use authorized pharmacies next cancer drugs that is tragic -- these are being counterfeit because they obviously won't work as well.

And it all drugs this is true -- it's also what people need to know about their cancer drug.

-- people out there may have heard about this but this year was a terrible year for this Avastin a cancer drug that was counterfeit coming out of Turkey.

Mislabeled misspelled.

In French instead of an English there's ways to tell this but but it's an enormous problem the way to avoid it with cancer drugs is go to your hospital for chemotherapy get a from a clinic.

That usually gives chemotherapy don't go to try to get your chemotherapy elsewhere it is scarce and the problems occur because this scarcity of these drugs.

But the solution isn't to go for them outside of the certified professional.

The next -- one that I take all the time allergy pills I've noticed that those are being kept behind the counter now at the drugstore is how can you make sure that you're not getting.

Topic for painkillers an allergy drug.

You know -- we know that's a huge problem -- over prescribing -- -- other painkillers in the US security up their people are taking too much of it.

But -- the problem is because it's an over the counter medication.

It's mislabeled again look at the packaging is this the packaging you're used to it is dispelling the same as are the colors the same that you -- together.

Another wanna could have disastrous effects -- you get a counterfeit psychiatric drugs like Zoloft and xanax solace Nazis.

-- the number one problem was actually at a role this year which is not on our list but at a role was with there was a tremendous shortage for attention deficit disorder.

And there was counterfeit like mad and again the problem was mostly online you've got to understand people can't get their medication.

There's a big shortage you have to feel terrible for them but you can't compensate for that.

By going out so you usual physician network to get these drugs.

And that's scary obviously contributing it to kids so though the lesson here is just be super cautious and double check you know when you get something from -- -- look at the label.

Get your physician involved see if the writing is correct don't get an online go through doctors got -- doctor Marc Siegel thanks so much great detail since.

Load More