Increase in fake prescription pills fuels record drug overdose deaths in the US

CDC study reveals deaths have more than doubled from the counterfeits, which are mostly laced with fentanyl

A flood of counterfeit prescription pills has added to record levels of drug overdose deaths in the US, according to a new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The CDC said the number of deaths from fake pills, principally sold as opioid painkillers or the tranquilliser Xanax, more than doubled across the US between mid-2019 and the end of 2021, and tripled in western states such as Alaska, Utah and New Mexico.