Paula Corley

Peterson Group Review: Identifying Counterfeit Tamiflu

Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) as well as the World Health Organization (WHO) and many non-profit institutions continue to give out warnings to refrain from buying medicines without proper prescriptions from a legitimate and licensed doctor in the internet. The goal of eliminating any illegal practice of distributing counterfeit medicines strengthened after new type of medicines, Tamiflu starts to plague the online community. Those who are not aware are exposed as victims of fraudulent acts that can lead to a very hazardous effect to an individual and if not treated immediately, a great risk of death is to be faced.

Tamiflu is used to treat flu (influenza) and other related viruses. The widespread of unaccredited fly-by-night pharmacies is also one of the sources of its increasing number. The Peterson Group, an online community countering the widespread of counterfeited medicines and scams on smuggled medicines, with the help of authorities has exposed four stalls selling copies of counterfeited Tamiflu along with some unbranded Viagra and Cialis medicines in Jakarta, Indonesia last July, 2015.

These medicines are not only circulating on developing nations, though with the lack of security but are also manufactured in leading countries such as the United States and China. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today warned consumers about a potentially harmful product represented as “Generic Tamiflu” sold over the Internet. FDA tests revealed that the fraudulent product does not contain Tamiflu’s active ingredient, oseltamivir, but cloxacillin, an ingredient in the same class of antibiotics as penicillin.

Although the FDA actively monitors the Internet and when appropriate purchases and analyzes drug products, consumers who purchase drugs using an online pharmacy can protect themselves by knowing how to recognize a legitimate Internet pharmacy and how to buy medicines safely online. Legitimate internet pharmacies are licensed by the appropriate U.S. Board of Pharmacy and follow the applicable laws and regulations.