Learn 5 Kinds of Poison Found in Counterfeit Medications – Actual Poison

During National Poison Prevention Week, every day we’re featuring a type of poison that investigators have found in counterfeit medications.

Learn more about heavy metals and actual poisons that investigators have found in fake drugs purchased online by unsuspecting consumers.

Patients can be exposed to these poisons by buying directly from unlicensed drug sellers on the internet, or when medical professionals purchase medications from outside the secured supply chain.Actual poison has been found in counterfeit medications that have led to the death of hundreds.  

INTERPOL investigators found rat poison and boric acid as ingredients in fake medication.

Antifreeze was substituted for glycerine in cough syrup and other common medications, killing 365 people in Panama, 88 children in Haiti, 84 children in Nigeria and18 people in Guanzhou. Boric acid and antifreeze causes kidney damage and kidney failure.

Researchers found PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) and benzopyrenes in fake medication purchased online. PCBs are estrogenic disrupters that may cause breast, uterine and cervical cancer and can lead to development defects. Benzyopyrenes are carcinogenic.

IMPACT: Kidney damage, kidney failure, cancer and developmental defects.

Learn about heavy metals found by researchers and investigators in counterfeit medications in part 1 of this series for National Poison Prevention Week.

Learn more about how to purchase medication safely online from our pamphlet “Save Money Safely From Online Pharmacies.” And ask your doctor, nurse and pharmacist if they’ve read the six steps to becoming a LEADER in the fight to protect patient safety.