Illegal online pharmacies are selling fentanyl pills: DEA

Illegal online pharmacies are increasingly selling counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl and methamphetamine to customers thinking they are buying prescription drugs from legitimate sources, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration warned.

“As Americans increasingly turn to online pharmacies to purchase needed medications, the DEA is issuing this public safety alert to warn of an increase in illegal websites, often foreign-based, that fraudulently target consumers Americans,” the DEA said in a release.

Customers think they are buying Oxycodone, Adderall and Xanax as the websites often look legitimate with 24 hour customer service, a US website address and professional looking design.

Websites operating in India and the Dominican Republic that claim to be legitimate U.S. sites “are working with drug traffickers to fulfill online orders of fake pills,” the DEA said.

In 2023, the DEA seized more than 80 million fake fentanyl-laced pills and about 12,000 pounds of fentanyl powder, which equates to more than 390 million lethal doses of fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that is 50 times more potent than heroin . Methamphetamine is a highly addictive stimulant.

On September 30, the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York announced charges against 18 people involved in a scheme to manufacture and distribute millions of deadly counterfeit pharmaceuticals through fake online pharmacies in India, the Dominican Republic and the US. At least nine of their clients died of narcotic poisoning between August 2023 and June 2024.

Targeting consumers with fake pills is nothing new. Three years ago, the DEA warned the public about the increasing lethality and availability of fake prescription pills containing fentanyl and meth.

Legitimate pharmacies always require a doctor’s prescription; have a physical address and telephone number in the US; are licensed in the state(s) in which they operate and do business; AND
have a state-licensed pharmacist on staff to answer patient questions, according to the US Food and Drug Administration.

Consumers can check the FDA’s BeSafeRx campaign website for related resources and tools.