September 1, 2023 – Overdose deaths as a result of counterfeit prescription pills have greater than doubled lately, in line with the CDC.
From July to September 2019 and October to December 2021, the number of people that died of drug overdoses with evidence of counterfeit pill use increased from 2% to 4.7%, the CDC said Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. The problem was particularly acute in Western jurisdictions, where the speed greater than tripled, rising from 4.7% to 14.7%.
Overdose victims are sometimes Hispanic with a history of drug use and drug use through smoking, the CDC said. About 57% of those counterfeit pill overdoses occurred in people under 35 years old.
People who overdosed often thought they were taking oxycodone manufactured by pharmaceutical corporations or In 93% of overdose deaths, the counterfeit pills were laced with fentanyl.
“People don't always know what's in them,” said Julie O'Donnell, PhD, creator of the brand new report and an epidemiologist within the CDC's Division of Overdose Prevention NBC News. “The risk of overdose is increased in people who believe they are using legitimate drug pills.”
The CDC's data comes from the State Unintentional Drug Overdose Reporting System (SUDORS), which uses information from death certificates, coroner's reports, toxicology reports and witness statements. O'Donnell told NBC News the statistics were “definitely an underestimate.”
The CDC said “overdose prevention messages” that highlight the risks of counterfeit pills could help prevent overdose deaths.