Overdose fatalities in the United States have reached unprecedented levels in recent years, and a new report highlights the increasing involvement of counterfeit pills in these deaths.
About two years ago, the US Drug Enforcement Administration issued a public safety alert concerning a significant rise in fake prescription pills containing fentanyl and methamphetamine.
According to the agency, seizures of counterfeit pills surged in 2021, surpassing the combined totals of the preceding two years, with over 9.5 million such pills confiscated.
A fresh report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention details the lethal consequences, documenting comprehensive records of fatalities reported to the CDC’s State Unintentional Drug Overdose Reporting System by 30 jurisdictions.
The prevalence of overdose deaths linked to counterfeit pills more than doubled between the second half of 2019 and the end of 2021. By the final months of 2021, approximately 5% of drug overdose victims exhibited evidence of having used counterfeit pills, as outlined in the new report.
Illegally manufactured fentanyl was implicated in nearly all overdose deaths involving counterfeit pills, including more than 40% of fatalities exclusively attributed to it, according to CDC researchers.
Methamphetamine was detected in around 25% of cases where counterfeit pills were involved, while cocaine and benzodiazepines were found in more than 12% of instances.
Many of these substances are crafted by criminal networks and gangs to mimic prescription opioids like oxycodone or hydrocodone, or stimulants prescribed for ADHD treatment.
The CDC report indicates that approximately 75% of counterfeit pills associated with fatal overdoses were designed to resemble oxycodone.
The DEA has reported that a vast majority of counterfeit pills entering the US originate from Mexico.
The report notes regional variations in exposure to different types of counterfeit pills and drugs, highlighting that fentanyl-laced counterfeit pills are increasingly infiltrating drug markets in western US states.
Overdose deaths involving counterfeit pills were consistently highest in Western states, with rates tripling from approximately 5% in mid-2019 to nearly 15% by the end of 2021.
The report also identifies Hispanic individuals and those under 35 years of age as particularly vulnerable.
Experts emphasize that to mitigate overdose risks, individuals should only use pharmaceutical pills prescribed to them and obtained directly from pharmacies or healthcare providers.
Access to fentanyl test strips and other drug-checking tools can aid in identifying pill contents and promote harm reduction practices such as having naloxone readily available, the researchers underscored.
