What should I do if I believe I have received or taken counterfeit medicine?

First, talk to the pharmacist where you bought the medicine or contact your healthcare professional for medical advice.

After your safety is assured, FDA needs your help in protecting the safety of others!  In order to ensure that only safe and effective drug products are available on the market, the FDA relies on the voluntary reporting of suspect counterfeit drugs from consumers, healthcare professionals, and other drug supply chain partners.

If you are a consumer and believe that you may have a counterfeit drug, please contact the pharmacy where you received the medicine.

If you are a healthcare professional and believe that you may have a suspect counterfeit drug, please report to FDA’s MedWatch office. 

If you are aware of suspicious activity that may be associated with counterfeit prescription drugs, please contact FDA's Office of Criminal Investigations.

If you find a Website you think is illegally selling human drugs, animal drugs, medical devices, biological products, foods, dietary supplements or cosmetics over the Internet, please select one of the three options below to report to FDA.  If your report:

• involves a life-threatening situation due to an FDA-regulated product you purchased from a Website, call 1-866-300-4374 or 301-796-8240 immediately. (Also contact your health professional for medical advice.)
• involves a serious reaction or problem with an FDA-regulated product, fill out FDA's MedWatch reporting form. (Also contact your health professional for medical advice.)
• for problem Websites that DO NOT involve a life-threatening or otherwise serious reaction, fill out this form (En Español). To report e-mails promoting medical products that you think might be illegal, forward the email to webcomplaints@ora.fda.gov.