DEA Calls Attention to Rising Counterfeit Pill Threat

With illicit fentanyl fueling a surge in the production of counterfeit pills that has sent overdose deaths across the US soaring, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has launched a public safety campaign to raise awareness.

At the Rx and Illicit Drug Summit on Wednesday in Atlanta, Georgia, Jae Chung, deputy chief of operations, DEA, discussed “One Pill Can Kill,” DEA’s first public safety alert in 6 years.

“There has been a significant uptick [in the production of counterfeit pills], especially oxycodone,” Chung said, adding that Adderall and Xanax are also popular medications for counterfeiting. “We seized enough powder fentanyl last year to kill every American. That’s not including the 20.4 million counterfeit pills we’ve seized as well. We are seeing more and more of these.”

In 2020, 4 of 10 counterfeit pills seized by DEA contained lethal doses of fentanyl. Production of counterfeit medications can be surprisingly easy, with pill presses sold online by popular retailers. Counterfeit medications can look almost identical to their legitimate counterparts, and in some cases even appear to be more cleanly produced, Chung said. No matter their appearance, though, the contents of counterfeit pills produced by transnational criminal organizations can vary wildly, laced with inconsistent amounts of fentanyl.

Chung shared strategies from DEA’s “One Pill Can Kill” campaign for addressing the threat of counterfeit medications. Specifically, Chung advised attendees to stay vigilant on social media and encourage others to monitor children’s use of the platforms. Counterfeit medications are frequently sold on social media and e-commerce sites, available to anyone with Internet access. Watch for suspicious text messages on social media and cash app posts, he said. Certain emojis often are used as code for popular drugs.

Also, Chung stressed that individuals should never take medicine that wasn’t prescribed to the individual by his/her own physician.

“You are playing Russian roulette when it comes to this situation,” Chung said of taking medications from other sources.

Finally, Chung encouraged attendees to safely dispose of unwanted medications at National Drug Takeback Days, explaining that research has shown that 3 of 4 children who become addicted to prescription drugs start by using medications they find at home. The next takeback event is scheduled for April 30, 2022.

While counterfeit pills are an escalating problem on the dark web, Chung said the DEA to date has not seen any issues with counterfeit pills surfacing at traditional retail pharmacies because of distribution safeguard protocols in place.

For more information about the “One Pill Can Kill” campaign, visit dea.gov/onepill.

Reference

Chung J. Counterfeit pills: what every American should know. Presented at: Rx and Illicit Drug Summit; April 18-21, 2022; Atlanta, Georgia.