The Dangers of Counterfeit Drugs

Do you know what’s in your medication? If you’re buying a counterfeit drug you may not know but you could be taking medication that is laced with lead paint, floor wax, boric acid or even rat poison. The importance of knowing where you’re buying your medicine from cannot be stressed enough for various reasons, especially if you don’t know what “fillers” are commonly found in counterfeit medications. In some cases, you may find counterfeit drugs that simply don’t have enough of the active ingredients necessary to address the health concern for which you’re taking it. In other instances you could be taking one pill that has too much active ingredients and others that have too little. You could also be taking medication that is laced with deadly drugs and they could all be fatal. Drugs are counterfeited in many realms, but the longest trend has been counterfeits showing up in the erectile dysfunction arenas for medications such as Viagra and Cialis. Because counterfeiters are becoming more sophisticated in copying the look of the true medication, you need to know the source of your medications, especially if you’re looking to treat ED. One way to prevent purchasing counterfeit medication is by buying from a reputable source such as your neighborhood pharmacy. If you buy online, and many people do because the price differences can be dramatic, you need to purchase from a reputable online seller. Ask your doctor if he or she can recommend an online site from which to purchase medications. In some instances, it’s best to try and shop around for medication with a lower price tag, especially if you’re taking it long term, but you need to do it safely. Unlike authentic medications that you buy from a trusted pharmacist, and are manufactured under strict governmental guidelines, counterfeit pills are manufactured in unregulated manufacturing facilities, in unsanitary conditions and can contain the dangerous fillers as mentioned previously. Additionally, if the medication you’re taking doesn’t contain the correct dosage you can be either over- or under-medicated and each of these instances can lead to dangerous health conditions. It’s difficult and in some cases almost impossible for the layman to determine whether they’ve received the correct medications to treat their ailment until it’s too late. Before going online to purchase prescriptions, you should check the Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Site to see whether it’s an FDA-approved seller. If you’re still unclear on whether the site is legitimate, you should trust your instinct and pay the additional money it will cost to purchase your medications from a trusted pharmacy.