Counterfeit Tamiflu has appeared on the world market

The German Federal Institute for Medicine and Medical Products has warned customers about the emergence of fake Tamiflu bird flu medication on the world market when ordered through the Internet.

(Photo: howstuffworks) German health officials on May 15 said the fake drug discovered and seized by the police originated in Korea.

Experts in chemical analysis said that in the chemical composition of fake Tamiflu drug completely without oseltamivir ingredients as in genuine Tamiflu drugs are available on the market. Oseltamivir is a medicinal ingredient allowed to be used within European Union (EU) countries to treat bird flu.

Besides the true Tamiflu drug, this fake drug has appeared and is consumed primarily in the Southeast Asian market, where bird flu is emerging and infecting humans.

The institute also warned consumers not to buy drugs through the Internet without knowing their origins and should only use prescription drugs.