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The U.S. FDA, and GlaxoKleinSmith issued a warning that there is a potentially harmful counterfeit of the drug Alli being sold on the internet. The capsules are filled with the drug sibutramine, instead of the chemical orlistat, which is the main ingredient of Alli.

Sibutramine is the main ingredient of Meridia, a prescription that should never be used without a doctors guidance. Meridia is a once daily medication while the Alli is taken three times per day. Also complicating matters is the fact that Meridia shouldn’t be used by certain groups of people.

At this point, the fakes have only been sold in 60 milligram tabs, as refill packs of 120 pills, and can be identified by the expiration date on the box which reads mm/dd/yr instead of mm/yr. Another telltale sign is no “Sealed For Your Protection” on the safety seal, and the capsule is slightly larger than normal.

Reports indicate that none of the counterfeit drugs have sold in a retail pharmacy, or store. Internet seems to be the only offering so far. If you believe that you may have been given a counterfeit prescription, the FDA asks that you contact them through their website at “accessdata.fda.gov/scripts”, or you can call them at 1-800-551-3989.