(WHDH) — The Drug Enforcement Administration is warning the public of an “alarming increase” in fake prescription pills that contain fentanyl and methamphetamine.
In a rare safety alert issued Monday, the DEA warned of a nationwide surge in counterfeit pills that are “killing unsuspecting Americans at an unprecedented rate.”
The DEA noted that the pills are mass-produced by criminal drug networks in labs and deceptively marketed as legitimate prescription pills.
The pills, many of which contain a potentially lethal dose of fentanyl, are being made to look like real prescription opioid medications such as oxycodone, hydrocodone, alprazolam, and stimulants like amphetamines.
Fake prescription pills are widely accessible and often sold on social media and e-commerce platforms, the DEA warned.
“The United States is facing an unprecedented crisis of overdose deaths fueled by illegally manufactured fentanyl and methamphetamine,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. “Counterfeit pills that contain these dangerous and extremely addictive drugs are more lethal and more accessible than ever before.”
More than 9.5 million counterfeit pills have been seized in the United States this year.
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