The Food and Drug Administration is cautioning consumers about dangers related to purchasing prescriptions over the Internet. This alert is being issued comes from data they collected showing that 24 apparently related Web sites may be responsible for the distribution of counterfeit prescriptions.

Three times during recent months, The Food And Drug Administration received data that counterfeit versions of Xenical 120 mg capsules, a drug manufactured by Hoffmann-La Roche Inc. (Roche), were purchased by 3 customers from two different Web sites. Xenical is an FDA-approved drug utilized to help overweight people that meet certain height and weight requirements lose weight and retain weight loss. None of the capsules ordered from the websites contained orlistat. This is the active ingredient in authentic Xenical.

In fact, laboratory analysis conducted by Roche and submitted to the FDA confirmed| the laboratory annalists at Roche conducted and submitted a report to the FDA confirming that one capsule contained sibutramine, which is the active ingredient in Meridia, an FDA-approved prescriptions manufactured by Abbott Laboratories. While this product is also used to lose weight and maintain that loss, it should not be used in specific patient profiles and therefore is not a substitute for other weight loss products.

» Read more: Pharmaceutical Drugs – Is Buying Online Safe?