The FDA has issued another alert to consumers about purchasing drugs via internet websites after a number of consumers received drugs containing haloperidol, a powerful anti-psychotic.

Consumers who placed orders for specific drugs – Ambien, Xanax, Lexipro and Ativan – instead received products that contained the haloperidol, a drug used to treat schizophrenia. Reports show that several consumers suffered symptoms such as difficulty in breathing, muscle spasms and muscle stiffness after ingesting the suspect product and sought emergency medical treatment.

The FDA wants to caution consumers about the dangers of ordering prescription drugs online and states that consumers should consult the FDA website before buying medication over the Internet.

Photos of the of the tablets in question and the shipping packages can be seen here.

The FDA has issued a warning to consumers not to buy prescription drugs online from certain Canadian websites that have orders filled by Mediplan Prescription Plus Pharmacy or Mediplan Global Health in Manitoba, Canada. This follows reports of counterfeit drug products being sold by these companies to US consumers.

Testing is ongoing but inital lab results have found counterfeits of the following drugs from these websites:

Lipitor
Diovan
Actonel
Nexium
Hyzaar
Ezetrol (Zetia)
Crestor
Celebrex
Arimidex
Propecia

The FDA warns that if consumers have purchased these prescription drugs online through these websites, they should not take them as they may be unsafe. The following websites are involved:

* www.RxNorth.com;
* www.Canadiandrugstore.com;
* www.Rxbyfax.com;
* www.Northcountryrx.com;
* www.Canada-pharmacy.com;
* www.My-canada-pharmacy.com;
* www.NLRX.com;
* www.Canampharmacy.com;
* www.Canada-Meds-For-Less.net; and
* www.Canadian-safe.com

The FDA cautions consumers purchasing medical supplies online. Although a website may look legitimate, the products it supplies may come from unreliable sources.