A recent study published in JAMA Network Open revealed the dangers of purchasing counterfeit weight loss drugs from illegal online pharmacies without a prescription. The study found that these drugs, which are marketed as generic versions of popular prescription medications like Ozempic and Wegovy, pose serious health risks.
Researchers obtained three counterfeit drugs from different illegal online pharmacies and discovered that these drugs contained low-purity semaglutide, exceeded the labeled dosages, and even showed signs of bacterial contamination. Some of the online sellers never delivered the drugs and instead engaged in scams to extort additional payments from the researchers.
The rogue online pharmacies involved in these scams included weightcrunchshop.com, puremedsonline.com, and genius-pharmacy.com. Two of these sellers, semaspace.com and uschemlabs.com, have already received warning letters from the FDA for selling unapproved and misbranded drugs. Despite these warnings, the availability of these counterfeit drugs remains a concern.
The study’s findings underscore the risks associated with trying to access popular drugs through illegal means due to high prices, lack of insurance coverage, and drug shortages. While some people turn to compounding pharmacies to obtain copycat versions of these drugs, it is important to note that compounded drugs are not FDA-approved and may carry safety and efficacy risks.
In recent weeks, there has been a rise in reports of people overdosing on semaglutide products made by compounding pharmacies, leading to hospitalizations. This highlights the importance of obtaining medications from legitimate pharmacies that require prescriptions and are properly registered.
Overall, the study serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of purchasing suspicious weight loss drugs online without a prescription. It is crucial for consumers to be vigilant and aware of the risks associated with counterfeit medications, as these can have serious consequences for their health and well-being.
