Cofepris alerts for the illegal sale of antivirals for Covid-19

Cofepris, the FDA, and other authorities recommend avoiding acquiring this type of medication on the illegal market since they lack quality control and studies that support their safety and efficacy. The drugs offered on the illicit market are counterfeit or altered products that present irregularities such as batches that the owners or manufacturers do not recognize, altered expiration dates, illegible legends, or in other languages , and, in general, their sale price is lower than the original product.

Using unsafe sources or purchasing supposedly generic versions of unauthorized medications can cause health problems, adverse reactions or side effects, and even death. The authorization of medicines for use in Covid-19 treatments is controlled and requires a medical prescription to avoid misuse of this medicine, self-medication, and its irregular sale.

The Mexican health authority recalled that medications for treating adults with mild or moderate Covid19 and at risk of complications are authorized by Cofepris for emergency use during the pandemic. Therefore, this medication must be acquired by legally established companies with permits and authorizations from this health authority.

Due to the above, Cofepris issued the following recommendations to the population: do not purchase medicines in establishments that are not formally established; do not use antiviral drugs for the treatment of Covid-19 without medical supervision; do not purchase antiviral medications for the treatment of Covid-19 on websites, nor consume unauthorized generic versions.