The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning on July 28 about counterfeit versions of a  so-called “morning after pill.” The counterfeit emergency birth control medicine labeled as Evital may not be safe or effective in preventing pregnancy.

A progestin-only dedicated product, Evital is available for sale only in the Dominican Republic, according to a Princeton University website on emergency contraception. One dose contains 1.5 mg of levonorgestrel. The FDA has not approved Evital for use in the United States.

Do not use tablets from packaging that looks like this.

The FDA said counterfeit versions of the drug are being distributed in some Hispanic communities in the U.S. The packaging label of the counterfeit version is written in Spanish. It reads: “Evital Anticonceptivo de emergencia, 1.5 mg, 1 tablet.” The manufacturer is noted as “Fluter Domull.”

You should contact your doctor or health care professional if you have taken Evital labeled as the 1.5 mg tablet and experienced any problems.

If you have any information about Evital, the FDA would like your help. Send an email to the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research/Ingredient Adulteration at CDER_Ingredient_Adulteration@fda.hhs.gov to provide information. Any information received is confidential and will be used only to help in the FDA’s effort to remove the potentially unsafe and ineffective versions from the U.S. marketplace.

The FDA notes that counterfeit medicine may be contaminated or contain the wrong or no active ingredient. They could have the right active ingredient but at the wrong dose and may be harmful to your health.

To ensure you do not take counterfeit medicine, the FDA offers the following advice:

• Purchase medicines only from state-licensed pharmacies that are located in the United States, where FDA and state authorities can assure the quality of drug manufacturing, packaging, distribution and labeling.
• If you buy over the Internet, make sure the Internet pharmacy is licensed, is in good standing, and is located in the United States. Use sites with the Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites Accreditation Program (VIPPS) Seal. You also can check online pharmacy status by contacting your local state board of pharmacy or the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) at http://www.nabp.net or 1-847-698-6227.
• Know your medicine. Any time you get a prescription refilled, check the color, texture, taste and shape of the medicine. Anything different? Talk to your pharmacist.