GPB Passport icon GPB Passport icon Passport
GPB donate icon GPB donate icon Donate
Sign Up For Our Newsletter

News Articles: counterfeit drugs

The CDC and FDA are investigating reports of patients in nearly a dozen U.S. states being injected with counterfeit Botox.

Fake Botox has sickened patients nationwide. Here's what to know — and what to avoid

Public health authorities are investigating reports of counterfeit injections sickening 19 people across nine states. Experts say getting bona fide Botox starts with finding a trustworthy provider.

|
By:
  • Rachel Treisman
This photo combo provided by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration shows an authentic Ozempic needle (left) and a counterfeit needle (right). The FDA said it has seized "thousands of units" of counterfeit Ozempic, the diabetes drug widely used for weight loss, that had been distributed through legitimate drug supply sources.

FDA says watch out for fake Ozempic, a diabetes drug used by many for weight loss

Thousands of fake units of the drug have been seized by the FDA, which is working alongside the manufacturer to test the counterfeit products for safety concerns.

|
By:
  • Dustin Jones
This photo provided by the U.S. Attorneys Office for Utah and introduced as evidence in a 2019 trial shows fentanyl-laced fake oxycodone pills collected during an investigation.

The share of U.S. drug overdose deaths caused by fake prescription pills is growing

The share of overdose deaths involving counterfeit pills doubled between 2019 and 2021, according to the CDC. Victims were often younger, Hispanic and had misused prescription drugs in the past.

|
By:
  • Joe Hernandez