Patients Turning to Illegal Pharmacies for Essential Medications

US patients are increasingly turning to illegal pharmacies due to high prescription drug prices and shortages of essential medications. The issue has grown in recent years, catching the eyes of officials at the US Food and Drug Administration. It is especially concerning for the attention deficit hyperactivity disorder drug Adderall, which is currently difficult to impossible to find at many legal pharmacies.

According to Akosua Mireku, “In October 2022, the FDA reported an Adderall shortage, leaving many without access to the drug. Even before this shortage was announced, a 2020 study found that approximately 98% of online pharmacies selling Adderall were rogue or unclassified. In a warning letter for a website distributing stimulants including amphetamines, the FDA highlighted that these websites pose a “significant risk” to US customers as stimulant medications present a high risk for potential abuse. The Director of the Global Health Policy and Data Institute at the University of California San Diego, Dr. Timothy Mackey, says that during shortages and public health crises, such websites can quickly make these drugs available due to their fraudulent nature. Because legitimate pharmacies have limited supplies, these websites may seem like the only available source for patients.”

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(Source: Pharmaceutical Technology, May 26^th, 2023)