USFDA launches new internet campaign

The US Food and Drug Administration has launched a new internet campaign. The new internet campaign warns consumers about the risks surrounding the fraudulent online pharmacies pushing dangerous, counterfeit drugs, the agency said.

The BeSafeRx: Know Your Online Pharmacy initiative came about following an FDA survey that discovered that about 25% of all the consumers had bought prescription drugs online.

Meanwhile, 30% were doubtful about the safety of buying such medicines on the Internet. Dr. Margaret Hamburg, FDA Commissioner said, “Our goal is to increase awareness, not to scare people away from online pharmacies.”  

The FDA is giving guidance to the consumers to only buy prescription drugs from online pharmacies that are headquartered in U.S, require valid prescriptions from doctors or other health care professionals, are licensed by that patient’s state board of pharmacy and have a licensed pharmacist employed to answer questions.

According to Johnson, sometimes drugs sold by these companies can be tainted poisons or other substances, beyond their expiration date or comprised of the incorrect amount of active ingredient.  

Thus, this could cause people to fall ill, develop resistance to actual medication or cause new side effects to pop up, due to interaction with other drugs. 

Hamburg said, “If the low prices seem too good to be true, they probably are.” He also said, thus the agency opted to launch the BeSafeRx: Know Your Online Pharmacy” campaign.