Fake Viagra and Cialis pills distributed in the Galilee Triangle were
intercepted and confiscated on Sunday morning in a joint raid by the
Health
Ministry's unit against pharmaceutical crimes, representatives of Pfizer
and
Eli Lilly - companies that manufacture the real thing - and the Israel
Police.
Ten pharmacies in the Arab towns were visited by the authorities and the
counterfeit erectile dysfunction pills were taken for examination and
found
to be phony.
The unit has been in operation for a year, trying to make a dent in
widespread illegal sales of counterfeit versions of expensive and
high-demand prescription drugs. Such fake pills, said the ministry, may
contain negligible amounts of the active ingredient or none at all. The
drugs also may include toxic substances.
In most cases, the ministry said, these illegal copies of prescription
drugs
are sold over the counter. They "may cause incorrect self-diagnosis and
the
lack of safety information about the pills could cause side effects or
dangerous interaction with other medications," the ministry warned.
