Increase in counterfeit prescription pills could be tied to overdoses, deaths
Posted4/29/2021 1:00 AM The McHenry County Sheriff's Office Narcotics Task Force is warning against a rise in fake prescription medications that are suspected to be linked to several overdoses, some fatal, according to a news release. Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid often used to treat pain, has been discovered in what police are calling "counterfeit" Percocet pills, according to the release.
Counterfeit medicine is not produced to the pharmacological specifications of the drugs they claim to be, according to the U.S. Department of Justice website. The drugs could be contaminated, contain the wrong ingredients, have no active ingredient, or be made with the wrong dosage, according to the Department of Justice.