Many online pharmacies operate illegally and may be selling dangerous or ineffective drugs, US warns

Most of the 35,000 online pharmacies around the world are operating illegally and may be selling dangerous or ineffective drugs, according to the US Trade Representative’s annual “popular markets” report.

96% of online pharmacies were found to be breaking the law, meaning they were operating without a license and selling drugs without prescriptions. An estimated 20 new illegal pharmacy websites are created every day around the world, according to a 2024 report released on Wednesday.

“The health and safety implications of counterfeit medicines are a serious concern,” Trade representative Katherine Tai said in a statement.

More than 30 online retailers identified in the report have been identified as selling counterfeit products. Websites often impersonate legitimate e-commerce platforms, with false claims of being approved by the Food and Drug Administration. The combined report also identified 19 countries with concerns about counterfeit or stolen products.

Online pharmacies gained momentum during the COVID-19 crisis when demand for prescription drugs was high and many patients may have been confined to their homes. Meanwhile, Physical Pharmacy is there they closed the doors and across the US, at least 7,000 pharmacies have closed since 2019, reports the Associated Press, citing data from the University of Pittsburgh.

In October, the US Drug Enforcement Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention both issued a public safety alert about illegal pharmacy websites that sell and ship counterfeit pills to patients who believe they are buying genuine drugs.

Last year, the FDA issued warnings to many online pharmacies selling suspected counterfeit products, demanding that the websites stop selling the products.