USA. Counterfeit Prescription Pills Containing Fentanyls: A Global Threat

Executive Summary

Hundreds of thousands of counterfeit prescription pills, some containing deadly amounts of fentanyls have been introduced into U.S. drug markets, exacerbating the fentanyl and opioid crisis. The sudden arrival of wholesale amounts of counterfeit prescription drugs containing fentanyls will result in an increase in overdoses, deaths, and opiate-dependent individuals. Motivated by enormous profit potential, traffickers exploit high consumer demand for prescription medications by producing inexpensive, fraudulent prescription pills containing fentanyls. The equipment and materials necessary to produce these counterfeit drugs are widely available online for a small initial investment, greatly reducing the barrier of entry into production for small-scale drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) and individual players.

In addition, small-scale fentanyl production laboratories have been identified in the United States and Canada, and fentanyl production and milling laboratories are believed to be operating in Mexico, indicating a vast expansion of the traditional illicit fentanyl market. (DEA – Drug Enforcement Administration, USA, DEA-DCT-DIB-021-16, JULY 2016)

https://www.dea.gov/docs/Counterfeit%20Prescription%20Pills.pdf