Counterfeit Adderall found in US

Counterfeit versions of Teva Pharmaceuticals' attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder medicine Adderall containing the wrong active ingredients have been discovered in the US market, according to an FDA alert.

The fakes have been found among product purchased over the Internet, and the FDA has speculated that because Adderall is on the medicine shortage list counterfeiters may be responding to meet high levels of demand in the marketplace.

Adderall is a mixture of amphetamine sales - dextroamphetamine saccharate, amphetamine aspartate, dextroamphetamine sulfate, and amphetamine sulfate - and in addition to ADHD is also approved to treat narcolepsy.

The counterfeit version contains two painkillers - the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug acetaminophen and opioid analgesic tramadol.

The FDA alert reveals that the fake is a poor copy of the genuine product. Teva's Adderall comes in round, embossed orange/peach coloured tablets packaged in 100-count bottles, while the counterfeit is presented as round, white tablets with no markings and comes in a blister. There are also a number of spelling mistakes on the packaging (note mis-spelling of aspartate on image above) - more details can be found on the FDA website.

"Any product that resembles the tablets or the packaging in the photos … and claims to be Teva's Adderall 30 mg tablets should be considered counterfeit," said the FDA.

"The counterfeit versions of Adderall should be considered as unsafe, ineffective and potentially harmful."