Pill Press Laws: A Forgotten Aspect of Counterfeit Drugmaking (UPDATE)
The first U.S. reports of counterfeit pills containing fentanyl emerged in a handful of jurisdictions in 2015 and by October 2019, all U.S. jurisdictions reported them. One reason for the proliferation is the ease with which drug traffickers can enter this market. With only a few thousand dollars, a person can purchase a pill press, pill molds, and dies that mimic trademarked pharmaceuticals and enough illicitly imported fentanyl to generate $5 to $20 million in sellable counterfeit pills. Given the simple manufacturing process and low startup costs, counterfeiting is an attractive area for drug traffickers, albeit one that creates substantial health risks to consumers. Despite this, however, there are relatively few federal or state laws governing access to pill press machines, and those that exist do not provide for substantial oversight or assessment. In this fact sheet, the Legislative Analysis and Public Policy Association reviews: (1) what pill presses are and how people obtain them; (2) why fentanyl is an often-used drug in counterfeit pills and the health concerns this poses; and (3) the limited, currently-in-force, applicable state and federal laws....
