Many people will jump at the chance to get cheap medicines from unscrupulous sites masquerading as discount online pharmacies due to the rising cost of health care. Even big-name, major-chain pharmacies also get infiltrated by counterfeit medicines since these drugs can really look like the real thing. Here are signs to look out for in spotting counterfeit prescription drugs for sale online:

Signs of Package Tampering

Packages and bottles of medicines and prescription drugs are give the most telltale signs of tampering in counterfeit medicines. Since the production cost for these drugs are limited and lower compared to the real medicines, they cannot compete in terms of packaging quality. Some manufacturers of counterfeit drugs resort to using old, discarded bottles of the medicines they are imitating while others turn to producing cheap versions. Some signs of package tampering include:

1. Broken seals

Chances are, you are familiar with the warning that you should never open a bottle with a broken seal. The reason for this is that while the bottle may be authentic, its contents may be changed or adulterated. Seals are also important indicators of quality; so if they are broken, it means that the quality of the products has been compromised.

2. Faded labels

If the manufacturer of the counterfeit drugs used old bottles, chance is high that the labels have faded in color due to previous handling. The colors may have rubbed off and produced faded patches in the labels. Medicine labels are never recycled; manufacturers of authentic drugs use new labels for every new batch of medicine.

3. Foreign language

Most counterfeit drugs are manufactured in foreign countries. One mistake manufacturers often commit is labeling counterfeit medications in foreign language. Medicines are required by international standards to be labeled in English with supplementary translations in a number of major foreign languages for global distribution.

4. Different packaging materials

The low cost of counterfeit drug production poses limitations when it comes to packaging. Often, manufacturers cannot compete with the original pharmaceuticals in the quality of packaging materials. Thin plastics, flimsy aluminum foils, and unpatterned labels often characterize the packaging of fake medications.

Signs of Adulterated Content

While some counterfeit drugs are obviously fake judging from the packaging alone, others are more carefully disguised. Some manufacturers change the content of the drugs from the prescriptions to the actual mix of pills inside the packages. Below are some signs of adulterated content in prescription medications:

1. Change in appearance

While the equipment used in the manufacture of fake and authentic prescription medication is similar, there can be slight differences in color, texture, smell, and size of the medicines or syrups. The reason for this is the lack of quality in the equipment. Machines used in manufacturing medicines need to follow certain international standards to ensure consistency; without this quality check, the equipment can cause reactions in the substances used for the medicines that can alter the look of the finish products.

2. Irregularities in content

Instead of producing their own version of the prescription drug, some manufacturers of counterfeit medications resort to mixing up authentic and fake pills. This means that while some of the pills in a tampered bottle may be real medicines, most are just knock-off versions. Some pharmaceuticals engrave their brand name on each pill for authentication, so if there are pills without engraving, the contents may have been tampered with. Medicines are produced by real pharmaceuticals in carefully controlled environments, which means that irregularities in the drugs are not by accident.

To maximize the benefit of using Internet drug stores in buying prescription drugs online, it is best to be careful in transacting with online pharmacies. Make it a practice to double-check purchases and keep in mind to report any suspicious medication to a pharmacist prior to taking them.