Most of the world’s 35,000 online pharmacies operate illegally and may be selling unsafe or ineffective drugs, according to the U.S. Trade Representative’s annual report.notorious markets” report.
Ninety-six percent of online pharmacies were breaking the law, that is, operating without a license and selling medicines without a prescription. An estimated 20 new illegal pharmacy websites are created every day around the world, according to the 2024 report released Wednesday.
“The health and safety concerns posed by counterfeit medicines are particularly concerning,” Trade Representative Katherine Tai said in a statement.
More than 30 online retailers were identified in the report as being involved in the sale of counterfeit products. Websites often imitate legitimate e-commerce platforms, falsely claiming that they are approved by the Food and Drug Administration. The report also singled out 19 countries for their concerns over counterfeit or pirated products.
Online pharmacies gained ground during the COVID-19 pandemic, when demand for prescription medications was high and many patients may have been homebound. Meanwhile, physical pharmacies are close their doors and in the United States, at least 7,000 pharmacies have closed their doors since 2019, The Associated Press reportedciting data from the University of Pittsburgh.
In October, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention both issued a public safety warning on illegal pharmacy websites selling and shipping counterfeit pills to patients who believe they are buying real pharmaceutical drugs.
Last year, the FDA issued warnings to several online pharmacies selling suspected counterfeit products, demanding that the websites stop selling these products.
