Dangerous Fake Antibiotics Aimed At Latinos

They’re dietary supplements, but they have names that resemble antibiotics in Latin America and they’re being sold in pharmacies across Texas. So far the scam has resulted in 2 known hospitalizations.

Yahoo News reports that  the

“DSHS (Texas Department of Health and Human services) officials are concerned that people taking the products believe they will provide the beneficial health effects of an antibiotic drug,” said a statement from the Texas health department.

“The products do not appear to have any active drug ingredients and are not approved to treat medical conditions.”

But they sound just like medicine to Spanish speaking immigrants: Amoxilina, Pentrexcilina, Ampitrexyl, Citricillin, Amoximiel and Pentreximil.

The problem is that if people are sick and they need antibiotics their illness can get worse if treatment is delayed. The rport says that health authorities are urging people to seek medical attention if they feel sick.

“The maker of these products has no scruples and is preying upon parents of children to make a quick buck,” said Marv Shepard, head of the Partnership for Safe Medicines, a consumer group that is seeking to publicize the problem.

“They use deception and jeopardize the health of children; this type of fraudulent marketing is unacceptable and despicable.”

The Texas state authorities in Texas are now working with the FDA to help spread the word about the fake medicine and hopefully control the spread of misinformation.

Follow Victor Landa on Twitter: @vlanda

[Photo by stefanov76]