1. Health

Counterfeit Drug

From , former About.com Guide

Updated August 28, 2008

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Definition: Products that are produced using ingredients that may be inactive, incorrect, or harmful.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “Counterfeit drugs are packaged and labeled to look like real brand-name and generic drugs to deceive consumers into thinking that they are buying real drugs. Counterfeit drugs are unsafe because they may contain inactive ingredients that are not effective or toxic ingredients that are harmful to your health.”

Counterfeit medications are often obtained from fraudulent online pharmacies.

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