HIV Drug Diversion Warning: Pharmacists Urged to Avoid Online Pharmacy-to-Pharmacy Platforms

ADAP Advocacy and the Partnership for Safe Medicines (PSM) issued a joint statement warning pharmacists that discounted HIV products purchased from online pharmacy-to-pharmacy (P2P) marketplaces meet the definition of suspect product under U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines and the Drug Supply Chain Security Act. The organizations urge pharmacies to avoid buying from these platforms, emphasizing that any HIV medicines obtained through such channels should be considered suspect, requiring quarantine and verification before dispensing.

PSM's Executive Director, Shabbir Imber Safdar, stated: "A deeply discounted HIV product bought off the internet from an unknown seller who won't provide a pedigree qualifies as suspect even before the purchasing pharmacy receives it because the listing alone meets many of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's risk criteria for illegitimacy: deep discounts, an established pattern of fraud in the HIV drug supply chain over the last six years, unknown sellers, and incomplete transaction histories." He added that damage to packaging upon receipt confirms the need for quarantine and investigation.

The warning highlights that online P2P marketplaces, while helping pharmacies manage inventory, also pose risks of suspicious sales. Dispensers must quarantine and investigate suspect products and report illegitimate products to the FDA and partners within 24 hours. The joint statement is available online at https://www.safemedicines.org/diverted-hiv-meds-on-p2p-platforms.

Brandon M. Macsata, CEO of ADAP Advocacy, noted: "Independent pharmacies have also been known to trade stock in less formal settings such as WhatsApp or Telegram. Those transactions are, if anything, more vulnerable and never advisable. We're strongly urging pharmacists to heed our warning and avoid exposing patients to unnecessary risks." Patients living with HIV/AIDS are potentially being put at risk when these suspect products are dispensed.

The ADAP Advocacy mission is to promote and enhance the AIDS Drug Assistance Programs (ADAPs) and improve access to care for persons living with HIV/AIDS. The Partnership for Safe Medicines (PSM) is a public health group comprised of non-profit organizations committed to the safety of prescription drugs. This warning underscores the ongoing vulnerabilities in the drug supply chain and the critical need for vigilance among pharmacists.