Road paint and floor wax in pills?

The black market for counterfeit drugs has become a major cause of concern to law enforcement due to the very real problems and often lethal consequences they cause to people who take them.

An assistant attorney general of the U.S. Justice Department says fake drugs pose serious problems because of the potential damage to health and the potential for deaths.

The market is enormous. The World Health Organization estimates that the value of counterfeit drugs sales reaches about $35-40 billion each year. It is a low risk, high profit business for counterfeiters.

Pfizer, the giant pharmaceutical company, puts its losses due to counterfeit drugs at $2 billion annually.

It is a big problem on an international scale. But it is also a problem happening right in the United States.

* A Jordanian national recently pleaded guilty to the sale of fake Viagra in New York. At the time of his arrest, he had over 38,000 pills in his possession. The counterfeit Viagra contained virtually nothing of the compounds and ingredients that make up the real drug. But they looked exactly like the real thing.

* Counterfeit drugs are difficult to distinguish from the real drugs. They look virtually the same, in shape, in size and in color. In many cases, even pharmacists and those who dispense the drugs cannot tell the difference.

* Kevin Fagan’s son, Tim, had to take critical prescription medicine after undergoing a liver transplant. But each time he took a dose, the pain he experienced grew worse. Two months later, the Fagans discovered that the drug they had bought at the local pharmacy was counterfeit.

According to the World Health Organization, nearly one in three drugs sold in the global market today is counterfeit. There have been instances when these counterfeits contain toxic substances and other chemicals that can actually kill the person taking them.

A Pfizer executive in charge of security says they have found boric acid, heavy metals and road paint in fake drugs. They have seen floor wax being used to make the pills look shiny. And fake drugs are produced in very unsanitary conditions, without any regard to safety practices.

A bill called “Tim Fagan’s Law” has been filed in the House of Representatives. It proposes certain measures intended to give better protection to consumers against counterfeit drugs.

Safety Tips:

* Use common sense. If you receive mail from a stranger enticing you to buy specific drugs, that should raise a red flag.

* Be careful. If you go on the Internet and you find a pharmacy willing to sell you prescription drugs at very low prices, without a prescription or without a doctor having seen you, your suspicions should be aroused.

* Look for legitimate online pharmacies. The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy runs a website that offers reliable resources (www.VIPPS.info).