Watch Out for Fake Flu Products

(October 18, 2009) - It's probably not a good idea to go looking for H1N1 flu products on the Internet. (Read about "Influenza") The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says most of what you'll find are fake, not approved and even dangerous. The warning comes after the FDA recently purchased and analyzed several products represented online as Tamiflu (oseltamivir), which may pose risks to patients.

One of the orders, which arrived in an unmarked envelope with a postmark from India, consisted of unlabeled, white tablets taped between two pieces of paper. When analyzed by FDA, the tablets were found to contain talc and acetaminophen, but none of the active ingredient oseltamivir. The Web site disappeared shortly after FDA placed the order. At the same time, FDA also purchased four other products purported to diagnose, prevent, treat or cure the H1N1 influenza virus from other Web sites.

These products contained various levels of oseltamivir but were not approved for use in the United States. Several of the products purchased did not require a prescription from a health care professional. Additionally, the products did not arrive in a timely enough fashion to treat someone infected with the H1N1 influenza virus, or with an immediate exposure to the virus.

"Products that are offered for sale online with claims to diagnose, prevent, mitigate, treat or cure the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus must be carefully evaluated," said Commissioner of Food and Drugs Margaret A. Hamburg, MD. "Medicines purchased from Web sites operating outside the law put consumers at increased risk due to a higher potential that the products will be counterfeit, impure, contaminated, or have too little or too much of the active ingredient."