Blister packs and fake pills

[lurker]

@crucibelle , thanks for posting I should have included a link. @brdss , refer to the post ^ by crucibelle. It's really both amazing and disturbing but at the same time does kinda make you feel a bit safer that they're trying to weed out the counterfeits while seemingly allowing the genuine meds though... I though it was a very informative and well documented video and definitely worth the watch. I think everyone ordering from IOP's should watch it at least once.

[crucibelle]

@crucibelle thanks for posting. @brdss refer to crucibelle's post as this is the video I had mentioned in my previous post. You'll be surprised when you see it for a few different reasons

No problem... I think everyone should watch it. It's fascinating, IMO.

[freshcut]

are there any reports of df 118's being faked

i have recieved fake hydrocodone ,one time from india was just round tabs that looked like a home made pillpress was used ,ended up eating like 5 and was really out of it in a bad way...think they were dxm

also one time i recieved norcos from a nrop 60# to be exact came in a prescription bottle with MY name and everything ,but i just couldnt seem to feel the damn things they were scored and yellow ,looked very very real

[Whisperjet727]

lurker,
I agree with you, there are more controlled meds the past 2 yrs, being mass produced in sealed blister packs, to give it authenticity. I received fake 1 mg Upjohn footballs, as they melted in my mouth in less than 5 seconds, and had no bitter taste, but were blister packed.
Shipped from Eastern Europe. This IOP usually ships very good, meds, but, I had the same thing happen from another continent, 2 yrs ago on Pharmcare Diazepam "Pak 10" the expiration date was April of 2010, and I received them in March of 2010, they also melted on ones tongue instantly, and I felt nothing. I received a reship, with a expiration date to 2013, and the meds were "so-so" I'd say about 50% as strong as a USA good generic diazepam. This same IOP speciality, is, some meds blisterpacked are 100% as good as my local prescripton from my local pharmacy, others, are either diluted 50% to 75% with a good expiration date, or might have 2 or 3 mg of diazepam in them, to test positive with a cheap,
five panel urine test kit, but, you are not getting what you are paying for.
I had my first problem with blisterpacked meds, from Pakistan, in 2008, excellent artwork, on the pills and the blister, (Viagra by Pfizer of Karachi, Pakistan) but were worthless, and,
again, bromazepam 6 mg made by Roche Karachi Pakistan, (this vendor only lasted 9 months and disappeared) and finally, from yet another continent, country was Argentina, fantastic benzo's Gador Alprazolam, and Gador Somit (like Sanofi Ambien/Stilnox) but the Roche Bromazepam, and the Wyeth lorazepam blister pack + Roche Valium, both were only about 25 to 30% strength, compared to the real deal, but the blisters were very well made. Thus I see it, as
selective scamming, for lack of a better word, some IOP's specialize in a particular med, that is consistently stellar, but the same IOP slips in weak other meds, so, it is a roll of the dice, for me, compared to say the 2001 to 2006, when, this kind of thing I rarely encountered. Just my 2 cents worth. I missed the 60 Minutes special I guess last year on the ease of counterfeiting drugs, but, I once had a document, a printout from the BBC on a story of a investigation, whereas the detailed story was someone in China, pumping out a warehouse load of blisterpack clones of USA drugs, and, these meds happened to be either erectile dysfuncton meds or were chlolestrol reducing meds, like Lipitor, and the contents, alleged to be checked out by a MS/GS test showed only a trace of the real active metabolite in them, thus, the customer of the receiving end got ripped off. The article stated it was unheard of prior to 2004, and by 2006, this blisterpacking of diluted meds, had proliferated many times 24 months, now........it is 5 yrs later, and it appears it is indeed widespread....................................

[GregoryGore]

I watched this CBS document. It was very good. I've seen same kind of document few years back. I hope there are no people out there who think all the meds ordered from some web site are 100% a real thing.
Did I get it right: if US customs find a packet containing fake drugs they just send them back to sender? Fukkin hellfire! IF I would order some meds from the web site and our customs get it there's no way I will be out of the situation just like that. Small amount of pills wouldn't get me to jail, but I would definitely had to pay fine

[freshcut]

sadly some people do think they are getting real things ,some (10 years ago i was one of them) think that because they come from another country they are supposed to look funny ,and end up in a bad situation like when i took like five of the round so called hydrocodone's ,i stayed in bed for 2 days from being disorientated and couldnt walk was very very unpleasant

[james244]

all of this stuff sounds scary to me but i have been warned away from medicine originating in india and pakistan as there is a high fake rate coming from iops in these countries
i believe if you examine the pill itself carefully and look for impendiments it may help

[Whisperjet727]

I am still new with as a forum member, but have 10 yrs experience on other (now closed) forums on medical discussions. Do I need a minimum number of posts to start a new thread? I will be vacationing in Mexico soon, flying directly into Puerto Vallarta, and, possibly, Baja Calif (Los Cabos, Mexico) are any forum members hip with the new laws in Mexico concerning purchasing like 50 tabs or less of Tafil XR, Roche Valium, or Schering-Plough Temgesic (0.2 mg Buprenorphine)? I understand, it is now a must to get a Mexican MD for a script, with my name on it, to stay legit. I will not be driving across the border, heard too many horror stories about search & seizure, but, will take my chances with TSA and try to keep my supplies to no more than 50 tabs per script, is that the new Mexican-USA law, only a 50 pill count supply with script in one's passport name? Any help would be greatly appreciated!!!!!! I have purchased fake Roche Valium and fake Pfizer Halcion, from a former Mexican IOP, that lasted 7 yrs, but was busted Oct 2008. www.medicinegallery.com

[movietango]

I am still new with as a forum member, but have 10 yrs experience on other (now closed) forums on medical discussions. Do I need a minimum number of posts to start a new thread? I will be vacationing in Mexico soon, flying directly into Puerto Vallarta, and, possibly, Baja Calif (Los Cabos, Mexico) are any forum members hip with the new laws in Mexico concerning purchasing like 50 tabs or less of Tafil XR, Roche Valium, or Schering-Plough Temgesic (0.2 mg Buprenorphine)? I understand, it is now a must to get a Mexican MD for a script, with my name on it, to stay legit. I will not be driving across the border, heard too many horror stories about search & seizure, but, will take my chances with TSA and try to keep my supplies to no more than 50 tabs per script, is that the new Mexican-USA law, only a 50 pill count supply with script in one's passport name? Any help would be greatly appreciated!!!!!! I have purchased fake Roche Valium and fake Pfizer Halcion, from a former Mexican IOP, that lasted 7 yrs, but was busted Oct 2008. www.medicinegallery.com

I think you would probably get more responses (and more help) if you posted your own thread about this. I have to say, though, I wasn't aware that the new Mexican laws were that strict. I'm glad you brought this up, I just think it belongs in a thread by itself.

[whogirl]

I got meds from India in a blister pack. They were correct in their identification, but they were not effective. Could this be because they were exposed to heat or extreme temperatures for long periods of time? It took forever to receive them in the first place. But I am not sure if taking them would be wise if some meds can become toxic? when exposed to extremes. Any advice on this one?

[paranoidandroid]

I got meds from India in a blister pack. They were correct in their identification, but they were not effective. Could this be because they were exposed to heat or extreme temperatures for long periods of time?

If they're not effective at all, I think the simpler answer is that you probably just got some well-counterfeited meds. They've reached the point where even the legitimate pill manufacturers have a hard time telling their product from the counterfeit one without great scrutiny.

[Kittsoan1989]

I agree w/ @mfay - if you go the Pfizer Viagra website there is an EXCELLENT series of videos on counterfeit medicines - it's gotten to the point where EVEN the drug companies can't tell fakes from real pills unless they're under microscope evaluation.

And it's not just Benzos, Pain Meds and Viagra that are being counterfeited - everything from Anti-Cholesterol meds like Lipitor to Blood thinning meds are being counterfeited - if these counterfeiters can make a buck - they'll counterfeit WHATEVER.

At the same time however, receiving a counterfeit SOMETIMES may actually be ok - In many instances counterfeits contain the IDENTICAL active ingredient to the medicine they are mimicking - While I am certainly NOT ADVOCATING counterfeiting - just receiving a "suspected" counterfeit med DOES NOT MEAN your med DOES NOT contain the correct active ingredient - it might.

[mrdeltoid]

It's not as challenging as one might think to place tablets in a blister pack. Anyone with a small amount of capital can purchase the needed materials and equipment to do so.

[anon837]

But I am not sure if taking them would be wise if some meds can become toxic? when exposed to extremes. Any advice on this one?

There's very few substances that become toxic by being exposed to high/low temperatures. Even the expiration date doesn't matter, it may loose some effectivity at worst. If it's an injectable, it may become crystallized (small crystals appear) , especially if it's oil based. Then you just rinse the ampule/vial under hot water until it dissolves.

Note that if you still have one of those few substances, they'll point it out very clearly on the package. Trust me, you'll find it out rather easy.

[Gman]

@anon837

Sorry Anon, but I have to disagree...
I live in Canada where it gets brutally cold, so I have put a car heater in my vehicle set 60 degrees F.
I store my benzos in my car because I live alone and have nobody to dole out the recommended doseage for me.
Otherwise I will take more than precribed.
I live in n apt building and it is a pain in the ass to get to my car...it's at the other end of the parking lot, and at -40 degrees, it is a good deterent.
One night my car heater malfunctioned, the drugs froze and thus became inert.
What a waste.
It also states on the package insert to store between 59 and 80 degrees F.
So take it for what it's worth.

Sincerly,
Gman

[fortgatlin]

I'm certainly no expert, but it just seems that the math doesn't work out. A bottle of xanax with a prescription from a local pharmacy costs $10.00 with insurance. That's 180 2.0 xanax. That's $.055555 per pill. Now, take away the insurance, and it's probably $40.00 for the bottle (22 cents a pill). Now these pills have changed hands several times between manufacture and retail, with everyone (the truck driver, the gas tax, the federal government) all taking a cut of the profits. That pill most likely didn't cost a penny to make. Now in retail, we learn often times that the packaging for a material is more costly than the product therein contained. I submit that while people may blister pack counterfeit pills, in the long run the counterfeits are more costly than the real ones (remember, pharmaceutical companies produce BILLIONS of these pills, to their cost per unit it probably way cheaper than a counterfeiter can make a fake one. I'm certainly not saying that it doesn't happen, I know it does, but it's very, very rare and nothing to worry about. You'll get burned a few times, but we all have been.

Kind regards,

Jan

[diazafan]

I would rather someone just take my money then get a dangerous fake, that possibly contains hazardous chemicals. I don't see how anyone could possibly be inhumane enough to do something like that.

[woods21]

I'm a new member and attempted to post a new topic on this to no avail (so my apologies in advance if I did something wrong...I'm not the most tech-savvy individual around), but I am somewhat anxious about this and would really appreciate any advice or experience anyone might be able to share. Blister-packed "Onapil-2, "marketed by" Cyril" (Mumbai, India) and "Mfd. by" Terrace Pharmaceuticals. The blister pack looks pretty nice, they are supposed to be 2mg Clonazepam, but they're from India and I can't find anything on the net about them even acknowledging their existence (whether good or bad) save a few sites advertising them. The pills are round, white, bigger than one would expect for a 2mg clonazepam, and completely unmarked. They're pressed decently, but a bit crumbly and definitely don't have the firmness of a standard U.S. clonazepam tablet. Anyone have any experience with these, or know anything about them even if the blister pack is real? The blister pack also isn't scored where it is separated into groups of ten (aside from little divots at the top and bottom), and it looks like someone cut one side with a pair of scissors. Anyway, sorry for the long post, very sorry if this ends up being a double post if my attempt to start a new thread does work somehow, and thanks a million for the help!

[diazafan]

I'm a new member and attempted to post a new topic on this to no avail (so my apologies in advance if I did something wrong...I'm not the most tech-savvy individual around), but I am somewhat anxious about this and would really appreciate any advice or experience anyone might be able to share. Blister-packed "Onapil-2, "marketed by" Cyril" (Mumbai, India) and "Mfd. by" Terrace Pharmaceuticals. The blister pack looks pretty nice, they are supposed to be 2mg Clonazepam, but they're from India and I can't find anything on the net about them even acknowledging their existence (whether good or bad) save a few sites advertising them. The pills are round, white, bigger than one would expect for a 2mg clonazepam, and completely unmarked. They're pressed decently, but a bit crumbly and definitely don't have the firmness of a standard U.S. clonazepam tablet. Anyone have any experience with these, or know anything about them even if the blister pack is real? The blister pack also isn't scored where it is separated into groups of ten (aside from little divots at the top and bottom), and it looks like someone cut one side with a pair of scissors. Anyway, sorry for the long post, very sorry if this ends up being a double post if my attempt to start a new thread does work somehow, and thanks a million for the help!

I'm pretty new here too, but I think you should make your own thread for a question like this. From what I gathered from reading you post is that you attempted to make a new thread. To do that go to How to spot fake pills; also discuss detecting purity - Pharmacy Reviewer Forums and click "New Thread" in the top left corner.

I hate to sound like an ass, but you should read reviews before you buy anything online, be it a flashlight or a Ferrari.

[woods21]

Thanks for the reply...I indeed posted a new thread, but I realize a box popped up saying a moderator needed to approve it first or something to that effect, I'm assuming because I'm new (still can't see links even).

I definitely agree on the research. I'm not entirely new to this, had success in the past, and came on here when another set of forums went down and Trust-Pharm.net was in the top menu bar as a recommended site so went ahead with a small order. Having spent a few more hours reading on here I will definitely be going another route, but it's sort of dire straits and what I received does seem legitimate in terms of the blister pack (that's why I posted in this thread). It's just that I can only get very minimal, and very vague, information here or elsewhere regarding what's actually on the blister pack (see above: Onapil-2). So, if anyone knows anything, I would appreciate it. Because I've already tried to start a new thread, I don't want to try again and have the moderators unhappy with me for flooding them with duplicate things to approve, so I guess I'll wait until later today and see if they approve my original thread. I had put it in the pill ID section as that seemed most appropriate. Anyway, thanks...any help is appreciated. I even went to the FAQ, tried dissolving in water and vinegar, and in both cases they more or less failed (still some sludge in the body-temp water, and a bit of fizzing (although not sure if it was fizzing or just quickly dissolving) in vinegar. I don't know for sure that they're bunk yet...but I'm pretty hesitant about trying something that could have who-knows-what in it. I have to work tomorrow, not to mention if I keel over I live alone so it's lights out. Thanks!

I'm pretty new here too, but I think you should make your own thread for a question like this. From what I gathered from reading you post is that you attempted to make a new thread. To do that go to and click "New Thread" in the top left corner.

I hate to sound like an ass, but you should read reviews before you buy anything online, be it a flashlight or a Ferrari.