Special to IFN
N.C. Attorney General Jeff Jackson is warning residents that counterfeit versions of popular weight-loss and diabetes drugs are flowing into the U.S. from foreign countries.
Patients across the country, including in North Carolina, are widely using weight-loss and diabetes drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound. However, due to quickly rising demand and supply shortages, counterfeit versions of these drugs are flowing into the U.S. from India, China, Turkey and other countries, Jackson said.
These fake pills will often contain dangerous amounts of active ingredients or other harmful foreign substances, posing a serious threat to North Carolinians. Consuming or injecting these fake medications can cause serious side effects or even hospitalization, the attorney general said.
Online retailers are also selling unregulated active ingredients of these drugs on the internet and social media, and selling them to people without a prescription. When only the active ingredient is distributed, consumers are often forced to concoct the medication themselves, posing an even greater risk of overdose or other negative health impacts.
Attorney General Jackson and a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general are urging the FDA to take action against unlawful fake drug producers and sellers.
Here are some tips to follow when obtaining or taking your medication:
♦ Always consult a doctor before taking a new medication. And when necessary, get a prescription through a trusted physician.
♦ Don’t buy prescription drugs from unfamiliar sellers online. It’s easy for online sellers to send you cheap fakes of the medications you’re looking for that contain incorrect dosages or harmful foreign substances.
♦ Always pick up your prescriptions in person or get them delivered from a trusted pharmacist, so you know the medications you’re getting are authentic and safe.
♦ Never formulate your medications yourself. The balance of ingredients is delicate and self-application or injection could lead to an overdose.
♦ If you start feeling irregular side effects or health problems from a medication you’ve taken, call 9-1-1 or seek medical help immediately.
♦ If you see someone illegally selling these counterfeit drugs or active ingredients online in North Carolina, report it to law enforcement.
Maybe people should just try diet, exercise, and self-control. Always good to hear from Jeff Jackson; he’s got a decent head on his shoulders.
Well, there’s always one! (GENE F.) Always someone who thinks they know the answers to someone elses problem. A person WHO FIGURES THEY HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS because what ever it is it worked for them or they listened to PART of a discussion on the radio while driving to work. Never hearing the part when the DOCTOR came on and gave the real facts. The part you should have listened to. Because not everyone is built the same. We are all different. Some of us have health issues others don’t. It’s not a cool thing to tell people; who you know nothing about that diet, exercise and self-control will make you a thin person! That is simply not true. Weight problems can be caused from a number of different things, not just from eating. For instance, genetics cause weight problems. Medications cause weight problems.
Environmental issues cause weight problems. And the list goes on!
With all of these issues that cause weight problems, it’s not as simple as diet, exercise, and self-control. People who get on these websites and make lame comments because for some reason they think they have all the answers and cleary they do not! IS IRRITATING!
Sir, YOU are so wrong and because you’re wrong. It would be great if maybe you could research the problem you’re getting ready to write about or speak on to get the real facts before you go insulting people! And SIR you did! I am sure you didn’t mean to. However, WE HAVE THE INTERNET NOW AND CAN GOOGLE ANYTHING And it would be a wonderful thing if instead of going straight to making your statement GOOGLE IT FIRST. GET THE CORRECT INFORMATION BEFORE INSULTING PEOPLE. NOT GOOGLING THE INFO WHEN YOU REALLY DON’T KNOW WHAT YOUR’RE TALKING ABOUT CAN MAKE YOU LOOK PRETTY LAME. SO PLEASE, I ENCOURAGE YOU, IF YOU AREN’T 100% POSITIVE ABOUT SOMETHING. JUST BE QUIET UNTIL YOU KNOW 100% THAT YOU ARE CORRECT. BECAUSE IN THIS INSTANCE, YOU SIR HAVEN’T A CLUE WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT!
Well said!