A warning has been issued due to a growing trend of counterfeit pills being misrepresented as prescription medication in fake blister packs.
The New Zealand Drug Foundation has discovered what was presumed to be alprazolam bars in an unopened blister pack that instead contained tramadol and no benzodiazepine, the High Alert agency said.
“It is highly unusual and concerning to find these tablets in seemingly authentic blister packaging.”
Dr Rhys Ponton from the School of Pharmacy at UoA said that there was an immense market for counterfeit medicines “to convince patients and health professionals that a product is genuine and contains the drug as claimed”.
High Alert said such discoveries showed the packaging of medications was no longer a sign of legitimate supply.
People who took the fake pills “may inadvertently consume multiple doses of something else, increasing their risk of overdose”.
Ponton said people have often relied on packaging to purchase drugs from illicit markets. However, testing from overseas markets as well as here in New Zealand has found drugs were not what they were claimed to be.
“All drugs are a risk, but counterfeit, fake opioids present a significant risk of danger,” Ponton said.
The fake medications often had no quality control, meaning tablets could have unpredictable dosages and be varied in size, with many having different doses within the same pack.
How to reduce the risk
Ponton and High Alert warned that drug checking was the recommended way to reduce risk.
“These are anonymous, free services that are key to reducing potential harm to people considering consuming such products,” Ponton said.
KnowYourStuffNZ, the New Zealand Drug Foundation and the New Zealand Needle Exchange Programme’s DISC Trust each ran regular drug-checking clinics.
Other ways to stay safe:
- Avoid using pills alone, have someone there to help to call an ambulancne if needed
- Lower dosages are less risky, so start with a minimal amount and check the effect
- Swallowing substances have a lower onset than other methods, allowing more time to get help if needed
- Avoid using it at the same time as other medications
- Have naloxone, a drug that can temporarily reverse the effects of an overdose.