Bitter Pills - Dateline Nbc Special

[RANCH GIRL]

Did anyone see this special last night? While I was aware that counterfeit meds were out there, I was completely taken aback at what big business this really is. Investigative reporters actually when undercover with hidden cameras to meet one such manufacturer in China.

So my question is: Does the facility in which you work have any policies and procedures in place to identify possible "fake pills?" Have you had any in-services regarding this issue?

[azhiker96, BSN, RN]

Sorry, I didn't see it. Were they able to show that hospitals in the US were purchasing the pills? I would think individual consumers buying online would be the largest market for fake pills. Surely the hospitals are buying directly from the manufacturers or large reputable pharmacies.

[BabyRN2Be]

Wow, I feel bad that I missed this one as it would have been interesting to see. I know that counterfeit drugs are out there but I'd bet we'd all be surprised (to a certain extent) to learn where they are coming from.

Maybe it will be repeated on MSNBC? They seem to rerun a lot of Dateline programs. I'll have to look for it and watch it.

[RANCH GIRL]

Here's the link - http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032600/

Inside the world of counterfeit drugs:

Dateline's Chris Hansen investigates how fake prescription drugs have popped up at pharmacies— and how this can be stopped.

Chances are you didn't think twice about the last prescription you picked up from the pharmacy, trusting that the medicine in the bottle matches the information on the label. After all, America's drug supply is the safest in the world. But a dose of reality: as more and more drugs are being sold on the Internet, a new problem has emerged: counterfeit medications. They look so real even pharmacists are being fooled.

You can also watch the video titled: Bitter Pills: A Dose of Reality.

[ChristineN, BSN, RN]

I saw it, and was also shocked. It sounded as if the pharmacutical companies are fighting counterfitters, but I'm not sure what hospitals and/or pharmacies are doing (or can do, for that matter).

[azhiker96, BSN, RN]

Here's the link - http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032600/

Inside the world of counterfeit drugs:

Dateline's Chris Hansen investigates how fake prescription drugs have popped up at pharmacies-- and how this can be stopped.

Chances are you didn't think twice about the last prescription you picked up from the pharmacy, trusting that the medicine in the bottle matches the information on the label. After all, America's drug supply is the safest in the world. But a dose of reality: as more and more drugs are being sold on the Internet, a new problem has emerged: counterfeit medications. They look so real even pharmacists are being fooled.

You can also watch the video titled: Bitter Pills: A Dose of Reality.

Thank you for finding the link! Great story but old news in Arizona. They did a story a year or two ago about people buying fake drugs in Mexico. It's small comfort that Dateline didn't find fake pills in US pharmacies but that the possibility of fakes getting into our pharmacies is real.