Lexi O. has diabetes and was prescribed the well-known medication Ozempic.
But since Ozempic and similar medications have skyrocketed in popularity there have been shortages of the drugs.
This has forced some people to go to different pharmacies and in some cases buy the medication online.
When Lexi was unable to find her medication through her normal pharmacy, she looked for other options.
She found someone who claimed to work in the medical industry who said they could get her medication.
When the medication arrived, Lexi said something seemed off.
“When I opened the box up, it didn’t look or feel right. The packaging felt flimsy, and the pen looked quite different from the one I had been using.”
It turns out that the medication was not Ozempic.
Instead, it was an insulin pen, which could have been fatal.
Even a small dose of insulin can cause diabetic shock.
Thankfully, Lexi realized the medication wasn’t real and didn’t inject herself.
“Realizing that I had almost injected myself with the wrong substance, thinking it was Ozempic, was terrifying and could have been fatal,” said Lexi.
She added, “It’s really scary to think about what could have happened if I hadn’t done a careful double-check.”
There are advertisements all over the internet offering diabetes and weight loss medications.
Some of these medications are discounted and sometimes they don’t even require a prescription.
Scammers have been targeting people on social media by creating fake profiles and telling victims they have a surplus of Ozempic and similar medications.
The medication can cost as much as $500 for a one-month supply.
In some cases, hackers have even pretended to be online doctors to pull off the scams.
In addition, the fake advertisements have a lot of reviews to convince victims that it’s real.
Some of these scammers are sophisticated enough that they can switch the scams to the latest and most popular medications.
One month it could be Ozempic… the next month it could be Viagra… and on it goes.
Considering this, here are a few ways to spot a fake medication scam.
Payments:
Any legitimate pharmacy will accept credit card payments.
If the company you are getting the medication from won’t accept traditional credit cards it could be a scam.
If the company requires payment in Bitcoin, Zelle, Venmo, or any similar app it could be fake.
There is no reason to use a non-traditional payment method if you are dealing with a legitimate company.
Have a prescription:
If a company offers to sell you medication but doesn’t require your prescription, then don’t do it.
Any honest company is going to always want to see the prescription.
Have you ever gone to Walgreens, and been told not to worry about getting a prescription?
Of course not.
A legitimate company won’t risk losing their pharmacy license so they will always require a prescription to sell medication.
If the pharmacy doesn’t ask for proper documents, don’t buy their medication.
Outside the U.S.:
Another red flag for fake prescriptions is if the company is based outside of the U.S.
Yes, you might be able to find real medications cheaper in Canada or Mexico.
But there are a lot of hoops to jump through to get these medications.
Plus, there is no FDA approval required.
So, there is no guarantee the medication uses the same active ingredient as the version sold in the U.S.
You could be buying a pill stuffed with nothing but filler, or conversely, you could be buying a harmful drug that could destroy your health or even kill you.
Discounts:
Many of the diabetes and weight loss medications sell for thousands of dollars per month without insurance.
For example, Ozempic is about $1,000 a month without insurance.
One simple way that fraudsters gain customers is by offering discounts.
Meaning, if you find a pharmacy that is willing to sell you Ozempic for $100 it’s fake.
As popular as these medications are there is no reason for a legitimate pharmacy to offer a huge discount.
They simply don’t need to.
However, there are times drug manufacturers offer discounts, but it’s directly from the drug maker, not the pharmacy.
Always remember that when anything becomes popular and in high demand, it creates the perfect opportunity for scams.
So, when you buy medication it’s best to get them from a reputable pharmacy.
If your medication is out of stock, ask your doctor for a similar medication.
It’s better to stick with FDA regulated medications that you can trust to have the correct ingredients in them, versus risking medicine that could hurt you.
Speaking of medications, they’re one thing many people neglect in their emergency and bug out preparations.
You should have a supply of any of your necessary and prescription medications prepped and in your go-bag so you can leave in a moment’s notice.
