The Counterfeiting Superhighway

The Counterfeiting Superhighway – the growing threat of online pharmacies

To read the full report, including the extensive research results and recommendations, download it here.

There has been an explosion in the number of counterfeit medicines reaching patients in recent years – one reason for this is the increase in illegal online pharmacies.

Scope of this report

Untrained, unsuspecting consumers are vulnerable to the potentially lethal outcomes of buying medicines online. The Counterfeiting Superhighway reveals the scope and repercussions of this dangerous practice through extensive research and examination of over 100 online pharmacies and over 30 commonly purchased prescription-only medicines.

Key findings from this report

  • 62% of medicines purchased online are fake or substandard (including medicines indicated to treat serious conditions such as cardiovascular and respiratory disease, neurological disorders, and mental health conditions).
  • 95.6% of online pharmacies researched are operating illegally.
  • 94% of websites do not have a named, verifiable pharmacist.
  • Over 90% of websites supply prescription-only medicines without a prescription.

The report concludes by providing recommendations based on the research findings and calls all stakeholders including search engines, credit card companies, shipping companies, patient groups and regulators, to take action and halt this dangerous trend.