Drug Counterfeiting Fact Sheet

• An estimated 1-2 percent of drugs in North America are fraudulent
• Worldwide drug counterfeiting is a $32 billion business
• Worldwide drug counterfeiting will be a $75 billion industry by 2010
• According to the Food and Drug Administration, the number of fraudulent prescription drugs intercepted by customs officials nearly doubled between 2004 and 2005
• Counterfeit sales are increasing at nearly twice the pace of legitimate pharmaceutical sales -- estimated at 13 percent annually by the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest
• Counterfeit drugs are commonly manufactured in countries like China and India
• The composition of fraudulent drugs ranges from crude mixtures of glue, chalk and sugar to nearly exact chemical replicas of complex pharmaceuticals
• Changes in packaging, labeling, color, taste, pill shape, and unanticipated side effects are telltale signs of counterfeiting
• Many counterfeit drugs are bought via legitimate-looking websites
• It’s possible for even drugs purchased at reputable pharmacies to be counterfeit