In conjunction with NSW and QLD health, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has investigated reports of counterfeit Alprazolam in community circulation. Testing of a number of products labelled ‘Alprazolam 2mg’ and ‘Kalma 2’ has found that:
- The Alprazolam 2mg product is an attempted counterfeit of a genuine product in the international marketplace. Whilst this is a genuine product in the United States of America (USA), it is not supplied legally in Australia. The product does not have an AUST R number. Distinguishing features are outlined below.
- The Kalma 2 product is an attempted counterfeit of a genuine Australian product and is being illegally supplied.
- Counterfeit Alprazolam 2mg tablets and Kalma 2 tablets may contain a range of undeclared substances in different combinations and dosages. Undeclared substances that may be present include etizolam, cyproheptadine, promethazine, Flubromazepam, amantadine and MMTMP.
- Consumers are advised that substances contained within these goods may be classified as either prescription-only (Schedule 4) ‘Appendix D’ medicines, Controlled Drugs (Schedule 8) or Prohibited Substances (Schedule 9). Therefore, possession of these tablets may be illegal.
The TGA is advising consumers to exercise extreme caution when purchasing medicines from unknown overseas Internet sites and has produced a short video on the risks associated with buying medicines and medical devices online. Products purchased over the Internet:
- may contain undisclosed and potentially harmful ingredients
- may not meet the same standards of quality, safety and efficacy as those approved by the TGA for supply in Australia.
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