What Are Counterfeit Pills?

0:00What are counterfeit pills?

0:03I'm going to tell you.

0:04I'm Dr. Rodrigues from Healing Sky.

0:07I'm also the medical director of the Dari Center for Healing.

0:10And today we're going to talk about what are counterfeit pills.

0:14Counterfeit pills are exactly what they sound.

0:16They are pills that look like the real thing, but they are not.

0:22One of the most disturbing trends in addiction in the last few years is the fact that many

0:30illicit drug manufacturers, also known as drug dealers or pushers, have acquired pill

0:37presses and they are actually manufacturing pills that look like the real thing.

0:45Pills that look like Xanax, pills that look like oxycodone, they look exactly alike.

0:51You cannot tell them apart.

0:53The difference is what they're made with.

0:56They're usually made with fentanyl.

0:59That's one of the more common items that they use to put in there or mix in there.

1:04They may or may not have some of the desired compound or what it's supposed to be, like

1:11Xanax, for example.

1:12It might have some Xanax in there, but it's usually cut and mixed with fentanyl.

1:18The problem with this is obvious.

1:20These are very dangerous.

1:22You don't know what you're getting.

1:23It looks like, let's say, a two milligram Xanax.

1:26It looks like any other two milligram Xanax, but when you take it, it is much more.

1:31It might have some Xanax.

1:32You don't know how much.

1:33It might be two milligrams.

1:34It might be less.

1:35It might be more, but it usually has a whole lot of fentanyl.

1:40I have seen many, many overdoses of patients that thought they were taking Xanax and instead

1:46it had fentanyl and they overdosed.

1:49This is extremely dangerous.

1:51Or they thought they were taking oxycodone, 30 milligrams, and it was in fact fentanyl

1:56and they overdosed by accident.

1:59Extremely dangerous.

2:00Again, never buy pills off the street.

2:03You don't know where it came from.

2:05You don't know if it's a real pill or a counterfeit pill.

2:09The counterfeit pills are often cut with fentanyl and you don't know how much.

2:15It can be enough to cause an overdose.

2:17It's often enough to cause an overdose, especially if you are not used to taking fentanyl.

2:24If you're not tolerant to opioids and you take some fentanyl, it can typically cause

2:29you to have an overdose.

2:31Very dangerous.

2:32So please don't do that.

2:33If you have been taking counterfeit pills, you probably have a problem and I recommend

2:38that you seek help.

2:39You can find help here from one of the providers on Healing Sky.

2:43If you would like help from me, you can find me at DelrayCenter.com.

2:45I hope you find this information helpful.

2:48You can learn much more about opioids and other mental health conditions by like, following

2:52and subscribing to my content here on Healing Sky.

2:55Also, please look for my podcast launching in the fall of 2026.

3:00Thank you.