What Patients With Cancer Need to Know About Counterfeit Drugs Risk

Patients with cancer face risks from counterfeit drugs sold online, and should verify pharmacy accreditation and seek financial aid.

The vast majority of online pharmacies are unaccredited, and patients with cancer need to be aware of the risk of counterfeit treatments, one expert explained in an interview with CURE.

“If you look at online pharmacies, there are about 35,000 online pharmacies. Only about 5% of them are actually accredited,” explained Megan Menon, executive director of pharmacy at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in Buffalo, New York. “So that's 95% of websites out there that people could be going to, trying to get medications, that are actually fraudulent. And it's about a $4 billion a year industry, that was the estimation for 2023, so it's a pretty big industry.”

Counterfeit drugs, according to a blog post from Roswell Park, can mimic well-known Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved oral and intravenous therapies, with the most common cases of counterfeit drugs being anti-cancer drugs and opioid mediations, the latter of which are used to treat pain in patients with cancer.

Menon spoke with CURE about the issue of counterfeit drugs and what patients need to know.

CURE: What do patients with cancer need to know about the risk for counterfeit drugs, particularly when it comes to pain and cancer medications?

Menon: I would say there's really two risks that they need to watch out for. First is that they're going to get a product that doesn't have any of the active ingredient in it, and so they'll be taking a medication, they'll think they're getting treatment for their cancer, and it turns out there's nothing in it. The other danger is that there is a something dangerous in it, like lead or another heavy metal. Whenever the FDA and [Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)] have tested tablets that they have seized in raids, they have found that there are dangerous chemicals in there. So, a patient might be taking something that isn't doing anything, and it could also be actively causing harm for them.

And how widespread of an issue is this?

If you look at online pharmacies, there are about 35,000 online pharmacies. Only about 5% of them are actually accredited. So that's 95% of websites out there that people could be going to trying to get medications that are actually fraudulent. And it's about a $4 billion a year industry, that was the estimation for 2023, so it's a pretty big industry.

What can patients do to ensure that the product they are purchasing online is legitimate?

I would say the first thing to do if you're going to a website is there's a link to the Alliance for Safe Online Pharmacies (https://asopfoundation.pharmacy/), and you can see if the pharmacy that you're looking at is actually accredited. The other thing, if you get to a website and it says they don't require a prescription for a medication, especially an oral oncolytic, run away, because that is absolutely not a legitimate website, and if you have questions, say they do require a prescription but it's not on the Alliance for Safe Online Pharmacies website, reach out to your care team.

I think a lot of hospitals, a lot of clinics, providers, are aware of this risk, and so they can help you determine if it's a legitimate website that you're going to. And if you're going to these websites just trying to find a cheaper option, because these agents are very expensive, they also will have resources to help you get the financial aid that you need to be able to afford your medications.

What resources are out there for patients who are really feeling the burden of treatment costs?

There are a lot of different resources. It's just knowing which ones you'll be eligible for. A lot of the drug companies actually do have co-pay assistance programs that can help out. There's usually applications you have to fill out. I know here at Roswell Park, we do help patients with that. We have a whole team that can help with kind of the financial assistance aspect of being able to get these medications, a retail pharmacy can help with that. And I know other hospitals have very similar programs. There are sometimes government assistance you can apply for. It's really just knowing the resources that are out there. Patients probably won't know it because you're doing this, hopefully, first time only once in your life that you need to do this. But we do it every day, so we know the resources and so do other pharmacists and providers.

And are there different patient populations who are particularly at risk for counterfeit drugs?

Yes, there definitely are people who have lower socioeconomic status are at higher risk. And actually, I was kind of surprised when I read this, the younger patient population is at higher risk, and it's probably because we're so used to going online for everything. I go to the store and I see something, and then you look at my phone, can I find it cheaper somewhere else? So it's really, it's a lot of comfort with just going online and trying to find something cheaper, and I don't know that we're really quite aware of just the number of scam sites that are out there.

Is there anything else you'd like to CURE audience know about this topic?

I think the most important takeaway is, if you do have trouble affording your medications, talk to your care team, make sure they're aware of your hardship. That way, we as your pharmacist providers, we can look at what the options are out there for you, and we can help you navigate through this. We don't want anyone to feel like they can't get the care they need because of the cost of their medication. And we don't want people feeling between a rock and a hard place and going to websites that aren't legitimate, trying to find a cheaper option, because it's do I treat my cancer or do I put my family in financially crippling debt? So reach out. We don't want people to not get the treatment they need.

Transcript has been edited for clarity and conciseness.

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