Concerned about a growing number of fake and counterfeit drugs entering America, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), along with several patient and advocacy groups, released key findings from a PhRMA-sponsored survey that reveals some common characteristics and behaviors of Americans who are importing medicines from foreign countries.

The PhRMA survey found that a significant number of American adults have recently purchased medicines from a foreign country. Half of those surveyed are buying their drugs in another country because they lack a doctor’s prescription. What’s more, the survey found that antibiotics and pain relief medicines are, in most cases, the typical medications American consumers seek from other countries.

“This study further confirms what the Food and Drug Administration has been saying all along – millions of Americans are circumventing the system and going to other sources to buy their medicine because they do not have a doctor’s prescription for the medicine they want,” said Billy Tauzin, President & CEO of PhRMA. “Alarmingly, this behavior increases an individual’s risk to being exposed to dangerous counterfeit medicines.”

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Read Key Findings of the Report

FDA Finds Consumers Continue to Buy Potentially Risky Drugs Over the Internet  

According to a news release from the Food & Drug Administration, additional new data collected by the FDA show that consumers who are trying to save money on prescription drugs don’t need to take chances by buying prescription drugs from foreign Internet sites, because low-cost generic versions are available in the United States. This finding also may be an indication that some consumers are likely buying foreign drugs this way to avoid getting a prescription from their doctor or health care professional, since many Web sites do not require a prescription.

Read about the FDA's Findings