The integrity of a treatment is only as strong as the integrity of its source. That is why the current wave of fake Ozempic-style drugs now circulating in the U.S by unlicensed and often foreign companies is so alarming. These products are endangering patients, undermining trust in our healthcare system, and demands immediate national attention. Very few people understand the risks they are taking with their health by taking these unlicensed, often illegal, drugs.
First, a little background: Ozempic comes from a class of drugs called GLP-1s. It includes not just Ozempic, but also Wegovy and Zepbound, all of which mark some of the most promising advances we have seen in the fight against diabetes and obesity. But their popularity has made them a prime target for counterfeiters and other bad actors — many of whom violate American safety standards. These products often arrive with deceptive labeling, no verified ingredients, and no oversight. Patients think they’re receiving a cheaper version of a breakthrough medication. In reality, they may be injecting a substance that is ineffective at best—and dangerous at worst.
The FDA has already received alarming reports, with some cases resulting in hospitalization. Contaminants, incorrect dosing, and lack of sterility are just a few of the potentially life-threatening issues we’ve seen. In their 2024 report, the National Association Boards of Pharmacy brought attention to the serious consequences that have already occurred, “According to information gained from FDA’s Adverse Event Reporting System, 42 people around the world were hospitalized after being injected with substandard or falsified semaglutide. Of the reports, 28 are classified as ‘serious’ with outcomes that include death. Three of these hospitalizations happened in the US.”
Even more alarming, many of these “drugs” are being produced by facilities that operate with minimal regulation or accountability — often abroad, but sometimes even within U.S. borders. Patients have no way of verifying the quality or safety of what they’re receiving. And many don’t even realize they’re not getting an FDA-approved product until it’s too late. Social media is bombarding people with advertisements for these “cheap and easy to get” alternatives, even saying they are better than the original. Let’s be quite clear: it’s impossible for a person getting a compounded drug from a real pharmacy to tell if it’s safe or not, let alone from an online one. Scott Brunner, CEO, Alliance for Pharmacy Compounding, said in a panel, “We’ve got bogus websites, some onshore, some offshore, and for some of them, you don’t even need a prescription. Those are a scourge, and we need to work on that.”
The counterfeit pharmaceutical industry is responsible for nearly a million deaths each year, according to the World Health Organization. That statistic is staggering—but it becomes heartbreakingly real when you consider that some of those deaths may be the result of well-intentioned people simply trying to manage a chronic illness. Just look at the outbreak of fungal meningitis, which the 2012 Congress later linked to compounding practices, which in turn led to the contamination of a purportedly sterile injectable product. That contaminated product ultimately caused 750 infections and 64 deaths. The testimony – and human costs – were heartbreaking.
We need tighter oversight for these compounding pharmacies, clearer guidelines for clinicians and pharmacists, and above all, better education for patients. If someone is receiving a purportedly cheaper version of a drug, they deserve to know exactly what’s in it, where it was made, and whether it meets basic safety standards.
We must act now to protect the people behind the prescriptions — before counterfeiters and bad actors cause more harm than we can count. Patients deserve the security of knowing that the drugs they are taking are safe.
After spending nearly three decades practicing medicine in North Texas, Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D., served as Texas’ 26th Congressional District from 2003 to 2025. During his time in Congress, he served on the House Energy and Commerce Committee as the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade. He also served on the Rules Committee, the Helsinki Commission, and was the original founder of the Congressional Health Caucus.
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