Pharmacy News

The Drug Enforcement Administration works with the pharmacy community to prevent the diversion of pharmaceutical controlled substances and scheduled listed chemical products into the illicit market.

Pharmacists play a key role in the proper dispensing of controlled substances critical to the health of patients and protect Americans against drug misuse and diversion.

Operation Meltdown Shuts Down Hundreds of Illegal Online Pharmacies

On February 4, 2026, DEA announced the seizure of more than 200 website domains tied to an India-based transnational criminal organization working within the United States and allegedly responsible for at least six fatal and four non-fatal overdoses.

DEA arrested four individuals and issued five Immediate Suspension Orders and one Order to Show Cause, both of which are administrative actions taken against DEA registrants to protect the public from dangers to public health or safety. The U.S. government shut down more than 200 online pharmacies accused of filling hundreds of thousands of orders of diverted pharmaceuticals and counterfeit pills without valid prescriptions. Read more.

 

DEA Warns of Electronic Prescription Fraud

The Drug Enforcement Administration has identified illegal schemes to generate fake electronic prescriptions, or e-scripts, for controlled substances by exploiting vulnerabilities in e-script software.

Tens of thousands of fake prescriptions have been filled by pharmacies throughout the United States. The clinicians’ names on these fake e-scripts did not know that their identities and credentials were being used to generate the e-scripts.

If you suspect you have been the victim of a scheme, immediately notify the DEA.

A new public safety alert video describes what DEA is seeing and what can be done to address the issue.

Safe Online Pharmacies

How do I know if a medication I purchased online is safe?

Buying prescription medicine online or through social media could put you at risk.

When purchasing medications online, you can check the validity of a website by visiting NABP’s Safe.Pharmacy tool.

How to Buy Medicines Safely from an Online Pharmacy

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration warns that there are many unsafe online pharmacies that claim to sell prescription drugs at deeply discounted prices, often without requiring a prescription. These internet-based pharmacies often sell unapproved, counterfeit or otherwise unsafe medicines outside the safeguards followed by licensed pharmacies. Read more.

 

 

Pharmacy Enforcement

Charges Filed Against 18 Defendants in Scheme to Manufacture and Distribute Millions of Deadly Counterfeit Pharmaceuticals through Fake Online Pharmacies

Defendants devised a scheme to advertise, sell, manufacture, and ship millions of deadly pills disguised as legitimate pharmaceuticals. These counterfeit pills were purchased by tens of thousands of victims from fake online pharmacies.

At least nine of those victims later died of narcotics poisoning. Through a sophisticated network of fake online pharmacies and pill mills in India, the Dominican Republic, and the United States, the 18 defendants exploited the online pharmacy market to sell counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl and methamphetamine to unsuspecting victims. Read more.

DEA Issues Warning About Illegal Online Pharmacies

October 4, 2024 – The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has seen an increase in illegal online pharmacies selling and shipping counterfeit pills made with fentanyl and methamphetamine to unsuspecting customers in the United States who believe they are purchasing real pharmaceutical drugs such as Oxycodone, Adderall, Xanax, and other drugs from legitimate pharmacies. Read the public safety alert.

 

 

Sweeping DEA Operation Targets Pharmacy Burglaries and the Illegal Sale of Addictive Prescription Medications

Nearly 900 burglaries involving the theft of controlled substances were reported to DEA in 2023, a significant increase in burglaries across the country. In August 2024, DEA announced results of a 21-month investigation into a Houston-based drug trafficking organization responsible for hundreds of pharmacy burglaries across the country, leading to the arrest of 42 people connected to this drug ring. Read more.

DEA released a safety alert video to help protect against pharmacy burglaries.

 

Burglary Data

Theft and Loss Reports for Robberies and Burglaries, January 2020 to July 2024

See Additional Pharmacy Enforcement Cases

Pharmacy Resources and Information

• Safe Online Pharmacy Check: The DEA recommends using the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) site to verify if an online pharmacy is legitimate.
• Online Pharmacy Red Flags: Be cautious of sites that do not require a prescription, offer unusually low prices, sell in foreign currency, or lack a valid state pharmacy license.
• Illegal Pharmacy Warning: The DEA has identified several illegitimate websites (e.g., www.USAMedstores.com, www.Greenleafdispensarystore.com) distributing counterfeit pills.
• E-Script Fraud: The DEA warns of schemes where fraudulent electronic prescriptions for controlled substances are sent to pharmacies, urging pharmacists to verify the legitimacy of these scripts.
• Controlled Substances Act Compliance: The DEA conducts audits to ensure pharmacies properly manage and dispense controlled substances.
• Reporting Fraud: Suspicious pharmacy activity, including fraudulent prescriptions, should be reported directly to Submit a Tip to DEA.

DEA Resources

Pharmacist’s Guide to Prescription Fraud outlines prevention techniques, controls, and the responsibilities of pharmacists. Pharmacy professionals are in a unique position and play an important role in detecting suspicious and fraudulent activity.

The Pharmacist’s Manual provides important regulatory information for pharmacists. Compliance with the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) and its objectives is a powerful resource for protecting the public health, assuring patient safety, and preventing the diversion of controlled substances and drug products containing listed chemicals.

Additional Resources

Find the Board of Pharmacy in your state.

Medications for Opioid use Disorder

Pharmacists play an important role in protecting the public health amidst the opioid crisis. Pharmacists are in a unique position to treat patients with opioid use disorder (OUD). Learn more about Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT).