CDC warns of influx of counterfeit drugs in US.
The Rise of Fake Prescription Pills and Overdose Deaths Among Younger Americans
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed on Thursday that the number of people dying from overdosing on fake prescription pills is increasing, particularly among younger Americans.
The majority of individuals who lost their lives due to fake prescription medication were under the age of 35, according to the report. It highlighted that these counterfeit drugs were not obtained from a pharmacy but were instead purchased on the street, from friends, or even at school.
“Evidence of counterfeit pill use in overdose deaths more than doubled from July–September 2019 to October–December 2021, and tripled in western U.S. states,” the agency said. “Decedents with evidence of counterfeit pill use, compared with those without such evidence, were younger, more often Hispanic or Latino, and more frequently had a history of prescription drug misuse and drug use by smoking.”
Counterfeit drugs often contain illegally manufactured fentanyl, a substance responsible for tens of thousands of overdose deaths each year in the United States. They may also include illicitly made benzodiazepines or “other illicit drugs,” exposing individuals to substances they did not intend to use, warned the CDC.
The report revealed that there were over 54,000 overdose deaths linked to counterfeit drugs, which are designed to resemble genuine pharmaceutical pills. It further highlighted that half of these deaths were associated with counterfeit oxycodone, a synthetic opioid that sparked a drug epidemic in the early 2000s, and counterfeit alprazolam, commonly known as Xanax.
“To prevent overdoses, it is crucial to emphasize that individuals should only use legitimate pharmaceutical pills prescribed to them and to highlight the potential dangers of illicitly obtained or unprescribed pills that may contain highly potent drugs,” stated the CDC.
In recent years, drug overdose deaths in the United States have reached record levels. Approximately 107,000 people died from drug overdoses in 2021, while preliminary estimates from the CDC indicate that around 105,000 died in 2022.
“People are pressing pills and even gummies” to make them appear genuine, revealed Tonja Myles, an addiction expert with Huntsman Mental Health Foundation in Salt Lake City, in a report by NBC News.
“People don’t always know what’s in them,” added Julie O’Donnell, one of the authors of the CDC’s latest report. ”The risk of overdose is higher among individuals who believe they are using legitimate pharmaceutical pills.”
The report also highlighted that evidence of fake pill use tripled in western states, indicating the infiltration of fentanyl into drug markets in those regions. It noted that these counterfeit drugs were less prevalent in western states due to the dominance of black tar heroin, which makes it difficult to mix with fentanyl.
“The highest percentages of deaths with evidence of counterfeit oxycodone use (both alone and with counterfeit alprazolam) were in western jurisdictions, whereas nearly half of deaths with evidence of counterfeit alprazolam use only were in southern jurisdictions,” the report stated. “This finding suggests that exposure to different types of counterfeit pills and drugs might vary by region. Prevention and education materials that incorporate local drug seizure data and information about regional drug markets might be particularly effective at highlighting relevant counterfeit pill types and reducing deaths.”
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Meanwhile, the White House announced on Wednesday that over $450 million in funding will be allocated to address the issue.
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