Counterfeit Phosphodiesterase Type 5 Inhibitors Pose Significant Safety Risks G. Jackson, S. Arver, I. Banks, and V.J. Stecher

摘要

Though counterfeit phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors are surprisingly common, most often purchased and delivered via the Internet without a prescription, they are only part of the "fake picture," which includes cancer drugs, antimalarials, statins, and many other life-important pharmaceuticals. PDE5 inhibitors are the most frequently counterfeited because of the product demand and money to be made. Counterfeits are usually prepared in unsanitary conditions and therefore can easily be contaminated. They are of variable drug content, often containing a mix of drugs, and can contain no drug at all, too little, or too much. They may contain talcum powder, boric acid, arsenic, or an entirely different drug (one batch of "Viagra" originating in Hungary was pure amphetamine) and may be made to look shiny with boot polish or road paint. Direct risks from unknown pharmaceuti-cally active ingredients include serious undesirable effects, multiorgan failure, coma, and death. Indirect risks include the absence of a health-care professional for sexual counseling and screening for cardiac risk factors and diabetes. Furthermore, men purchasing via the Internet consume more pills than those visiting a pharmacy, exposing them to greater counterfeit drug risks.