The Food and Drug Administration is cracking down on 136 websites it says were selling illegal or misbranded drugs to U.S. consumers.
The FDA says none of the websites are for pharmacies in the United States or Canada.
The agency has sent 22 warning letters to the operators of these websites and notified Internet service providers and domain name registrars that the websites were selling products that violated U.S. law.
The FDA says in many cases, because of the violations, Internet service providers and domain name registrars may have grounds to terminate the websites and suspend the use of domain names.
“The FDA works in close collaboration with our regulatory and law enforcement counterparts in the United States and throughout the world to protect the public,” said FDA Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg, M.D.
“Many U.S. consumers are being misled in the hopes of saving money by purchasing prescription drugs over the Internet from illegal pharmacies. Unfortunately, these drugs are often counterfeit, contaminated, or unapproved products, or contain an inconsistent amount of the active ingredient. Taking these drugs can pose a danger to consumers.”
The FDA’s latest move was part of a coordinated, weeklong, international effort, called the International Internet Week of Action, aimed at curbing illegal activity involving medical products.
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