Most of the 35,000 online pharmacies worldwide are operating illegally and may be selling dangerous or ineffective drugs, according to the annual report of the Trade Representative the US”famous markets” statement.
96 percent of online pharmacies were found to be in breach of the law, meaning they were operating without a license and selling medicines without a prescription. It is estimated that 20 new illegal pharmacy websites are created every day around the world, according to the 2024 report published on Wednesday.
“The health and safety concerns posed by counterfeit medicines are particularly worrying,” Trade Representative Katherine Tai said in a statement.
More than 30 online retailers were identified in the report as sellers involved in selling fake products. The websites often imitate legitimate e-commerce platforms, with false claims that they are approved by the Food and Drug Administration. The compiled report also identified 19 countries with concerns about counterfeit or pirated products.
Online pharmacy he got traction during the COVID-19 pandemic when the demand for prescription drugs was high and many patients may have been confined to their homes. At the same time, there are physical pharmacies closing their doors and across the US, at least 7,000 pharmacies have closed since 2019, The Associated Press reportedciting data from the University of Pittsburgh.
In October, the US Drug Enforcement Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention both public safety alert about illegal pharmacy websites selling and delivering counterfeit pills to patients who believe they are buying genuine prescription drugs.
Last year, the FDA warnings issued to several online pharmacies that sell suspected counterfeit products, demanding that the websites stop selling their products.
