What Is Medication Health Fraud?
Medication health fraud includes marketing products with unproven, false or misleading claims about their ability to diagnose, cure, treat or prevent diseases or conditions.
Scammers prey on people’s desire for quick and easy solutions to challenging issues, such as Alzheimer’s disease, arthritis, cancer, diabetes, obesity, influenza, COVID-19, sexual dysfunction and other health conditions.
These fraudulent products can pose serious risks. They are often ineffective and waste people’s money.
This can occur anywhere products are sold, including online and at convenience stores, salons, or gas stations.
Why Is Medication Health Fraud Dangerous?
Medication health fraud may cause people to delay or stop appropriate medical treatment, leading to serious and life-threatening harm.
These fraudulent products also may be contaminated with dangerous, hidden ingredients, including prescription drug ingredients, banned substances and/or harmful chemicals.
How Does FDA Protect People from Medication Health Fraud?
FDA is taking action to protect you from medication health fraud:
- Monitoring websites and stores for products and supplements that may be fraudulent and harmful.
- Reviewing complaints of potentially fraudulent products from consumers, patients, and health care professionals, as well as reports provided to poison centers.
- Testing products to identify hidden drug ingredients.
- Issuing notifications or alerts about products that are fraudulent and/or contaminated with hidden ingredients.
- Maintaining a health fraud product database with more than 1,000 notifications about dangerous products. However, this list includes only a small fraction of the potentially hazardous products marketed to consumers.
- Taking action when we find violations of federal law, such as issuing warning letters, seizing products and obtaining injunctions against companies to protect people from harm.
How Can I Protect Myself?
Be vigilant and beware of:
- Products that claim they are made in an FDA-approved facility; FDA does not approve facilities.
- Products that offer miracle cures or claim that they can “do it all” and rely heavily on personal stories without credible evidence.
- Products that claim to be alternatives to FDA-approved drugs or to have similar effects as prescription drugs.
- Buying products through an online marketplace or over the “virtual” counter.
- Medicines that lack the required drug facts label.
Always talk to a health care professional before buying or trying a new product for your health.
Problems related to medication health fraud products are often underreported. If you think a product you are taking has caused a serious reaction or illness, report it.
Which Products Have Been Identified by FDA as Potential Health Fraud Violations?
FDA maintains a health fraud product database with more than 1,000 notifications about dangerous products. However, this database represents only a small fraction of the potentially hazardous products on the market. If a product is not on the list, that does not mean it is safe.
Where Are Fraudulent Products Sold?
Products may be sold through various channels, including:
- The internet, including large online marketplaces and on social media.
- Stores, including gas stations, salons and spas.
- Through the mail.
It is important to be careful no matter where you make your purchases. If you think a website may be engaged in medication health fraud, report it to FDA. It could help prevent others from falling victim to health fraud.
