Counterfeit medications create billion dollar industry

Friday night, ABC’s 20/20 aired their year-long investigation into counterfeit medications.

According to ABC, the sales of fake medicines have resulted in a $47 billion dollar industry. 47 ABC spoke with Melissa Johnson, the chief operating officer of Riverside Pharmacy in Salisbury about these illegal sales.

She says it’s common in medications that people try to abuse like Oxycodone. However, she says this can be done with any type of medicine and taking part in these sales presents a major risk.

Johnson continues, “It’s incredibly dangerous. When you think about when you talk to children you say ‘don’t take food from strangers, don’t take candy from strangers.’ That’s absolutely the same thing when it comes to counterfeit medications. They’re not regulated by the DEA or the FDA. You can’t know what you’re getting.”

Johnson says the safest way to obtain medication is through your local pharmacy.