Fake Drugs Have Real Consequences for Patients

Black market medicine is terrible for patients all over the world, including Americans. At best, counterfeit and substandard medicine may not adequately treat a patient's illness. At worst, counterfeit medicines may cause poisoning or death.

Each of the following stories mentions people who have been sickened or died after being treated with fake medicine. Every day, American patients are harmed when they break the closed U.S. drug supply.

A thumbnail of the first page to Senators Marshall and Durbin.

Hims and Hers warns investors about potential liability for FDA-regulated compounded prescription drug ads

February 28, 2025

There has been controversy about the ad Hims & Hers ran during the Super Bowl. And now an SEC filing says investors should be warned about risk if their ads are found to be non-compliant.

New report reveals illegal ingredients for knockoff weight loss drugs flooding into U.S. from foreign sources, endangering patient safety

February 20, 2025

The Partnership for Safe Medicines today released a new report that found suspicious, unauthorized, and illegal ingredients for popular diabetes and obesity injectables (commonly known as weight loss drugs) are flooding into the U.S. from foreign sources despite U.S. laws forbidding them from coming through the border.

PSM applauds Arkansas Board of Pharmacy for protecting patients

February 14, 2025

The Partnership for Safe Medicines applauds the Arkansas State Board of Pharmacy for utilizing new product verification technology for identifying illegitimate Ozempic quarantined by a pharmacy this week.

Letter to FDA’s Office of Prescription Drug Promotion, CDER

February 5, 2025

PSM sent the following letter to the FDA’s Office of Prescription Drug Promotion (CDER) asking them to enforce the laws and guidelines that protect Americans from misleading advertising in the Hims&Hers Super Bowl ad.

Letter to Fox Corporation regarding misleading Hims & Hers Super Bowl ad

February 5, 2025

PSM sent the attached letter to Fox Broadcasting, calling on them to withdraw the deeply troubling and misleading Hims&Hers Super Bowl ad.

Close up of Counterfeit Accu-Chek SmartView packaging with identical serial numbers

When is Amazon liable for selling, warehousing, and delivering counterfeit medical devices?

August 21, 2024

A whistleblower complaint alleges that counterfeit and misbranded diabetes medical devices were being sold by third-party vendor on Amazon and orders were fulfilled by Amazon.com itself.

Eli Lilly issues new alert about fake and dangerous compounded weight loss injectables

June 20, 2024

“Lilly Warns Patients About Counterfeit and Compounded Medicines Releases Open Letter and Takes Further Legal Action Against Counterfeit, Fake, Unsafe, and Untested Products”

A thumbnail of the first page of our testimony.

PSM testimony: Colorado Prescription Drug Affordability Board Meeting, June 7, 2024

May 31, 2024

A Colorado board is considering setting a price limit on the medicine Stelara. This will have unintended consequences, undermining the safety of the supply chain for this medicine and limiting patient access. Learn more by reading our testimony.

PSM launches social media public awareness campaign about dangers of fake Botox

May 23, 2024

PSM is launching a public awareness campaign about the dangers of fake Botox. The campaign includes a dozen slides with quotes from a fake Botox victim about her physical effects. You can view the campaign elements in the gallery below or on PSM’s instagram channel as it rolls out over the next few weeks.  

PSM asks major online pharmacy sales platforms for information

April 15, 2024

PSM asks major online pharmacy sales platforms for information Today, the Partnership for Safe Medicines wrote to the leading online platforms that enable pharmacy-to-pharmacy drug sales to address a potential danger to the safety of the drug supply. PSM is concerned that counterfeit and diverted medication might be sold on online pharmacy-to-pharmacy platforms by criminals…