FDA warns about buying H1N1 drugs via the Internet

By Sheilah Downey

Sunday Oct 18, 2009 (foodconsumer.org) -- Swine flu medications sold online can contain unknown substances and include risks such as contamination and side effects, according to the Food and Drug Administration.

The FDA recently purchased products over the internet that claimed to treat the H1N1 virus but arrived in an unmarked envelope, postmarked from India, with white tablets taped between two pieces of paper. The tablets were found to contain talc and acetominophen, but none of the ingredients in FDA-approved anti-viral medications.

"Medicines purchased from web sites operating outside the law put consumers at increased risk due to a higher potential that the products will be counterfeit, impure, contaminated or have too little or too much of the active ingredient," said Dr. Margaret A. Hamburg, FDA Commissioner of Food and Drugs, in a statement released this week.

Hamburg said there is a risk of drug interactions, contamination, and unknown side effects when buying antiviral medication online from an unfamiliar company.

Drugs that are in high demand during public health emergencies, such as the H1N1 flu outbreak, "are vulnerable to counterfeiting and diversion because buyers may be desperate to stock the product and criminals capitalize on the situation," said the FDA release.

The two antiviral drugs approved by the FDA for the H1N1 virus are Tamiflu (oseltamivir) and Relenza (zanamivir).

Consumers can visit the FDA's web site for tips about how to protect themselves when buying medicines online.