Counterfeiters moving in on radiation pill market?

Consumer buying anti-radiation pills in the wake of the nuclear plant crisis in Japan are at risk of exposure to counterfeit, unapproved and otherwise illegal medicines, according to the US Food and Drug Administration.

The FDA says that demand for over-the-counter potassium iodide tablets and oral solutions is increasing on consumers' fears of exposure to radiation, despite the vanishingly small risk in the USA.

The three manufacturers of US-approved potassium iodide products - Anbex, Recipharm and Fleming & Co - are all experiencing stock shortages and the agency is concerned that disappointed customers may try to source the products from unscrupulous sources.

The FDA has updated a Question & Answer page on its website to provide additional advice on potassium iodide.