If you suspect a fake medicine, immediately stop use, keep the suspected product in a secure location, and speak to your healthcare provider.
Your healthcare provider will guide you on next steps.
You may additionally report your suspicions to the following actors:
- Pharmaceutical companies: Reach out directly to the pharmaceutical company that produces the genuine version of the medicine; often, their official websites have a reporting section to raise any concerns.
- Online pharmacy-related complaints: If you encounter SF medicines while shopping online, report the issue to the platform or website where you made the purchase. If you suspect the legitimacy of the entire website, some countries have programs to report online pharmacies. In the U.S., report using FDA’s reporting tool.
- Regulatory authorities: In most countries, regulatory authorities have dedicated hotlines or online forms to report SF medicines, like FDA’s MedWatch program in the U.S.
When reporting, be as detailed as possible. Report and document:
- All symptoms and side effects. If the medicine is not working as it should, report that too.
- If there were visual red flags, what were they? Take pictures of the medicine’s packaging, appearance, leaflets or anything else that raised suspicion.
- Where and when did you purchase the medicine?
Make sure to take pictures of the medicine and keep the medicine so you can bring it to your healthcare provider.