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Senior Citizen Alerts
Seniors Citizens Warned of Dangerous Drug Shipped to
Online Buyers
FDA suspects powerful anti-psychotic substituted
for order
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Click image for larger view
of envelope used to send drugs from Greece. |
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Feb. 20, 2007 Some Americans who ordered Ambien, Xanax,
Lexapro, and Ativan over the Internet have received instead what appears
to be the drug haloperidol, a powerful anti-psychotic drug, according to
a warning for senior citizens and other consumers from the Food and Drug
Administration.
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Reports show several consumers in the United States
have sought emergency medical treatment for symptoms such as difficulty
in breathing, muscle spasms and muscle stiffness after ingesting the
suspect product. Haloperidol can cause muscle stiffness and spasms,
agitation, and sedation, according to the FDA.
FDA laboratory analysis of the misrepresented
tablets is ongoing, but preliminary analysis indicates they contain
haloperidol, the active ingredient in a prescription drug used primarily
to treat schizophrenia. FDA learned about these mislabeled and
potentially dangerous products after their recipients complained to a
U.S. pharmaceutical manufacturer.
The origin of these tablets is unknown but the
packages were postmarked in Greece. Photographs of the tablets in
question and the shipping packages can be seen at
http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/news/photos/haloperidol.html. If the
tablets received from an Internet seller resemble those in the photos
and haloperidol was not specifically ordered, do not take these tablets.
Instead, consumers should notify their health care
provider and report the suspected products to FDA by submitting a
product quality problem report at
https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/medwatch/medwatch-online.htm.
Although the involved consumers have named several
Internet Web sites where the products were purchased, identifying the
vendors is difficult because of the deceptive practices of many
commercial outlets on the Internet. FDA is investigating this illicit
trade and plans to release appropriate information when it is available.
The agency is reissuing its warning to consumers
about the possible dangers of buying prescription drugs online. FDA
urges consumers to review the FDA Web site for information before buying
medication over the Internet.
Taking medication that contains an active
ingredient other than what was prescribed by a qualified health care
professional is generally unsafe. FDA continuously warns U.S. consumers
of the possible dangers of buying prescription drugs online and urges
them to review the FDA Web site for additional information prior to
making purchases of medication over the Internet (http://www.fda.gov/buyonline/).
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