Counterfeit medications often contain toxic ingredients or incorrect dosages.
He remembered an article he’d skimmed months ago about counterfeit pills—tablets pressed in unregulated labs, often containing nothing but chalk or, worse, dangerous levels of fentanyl. The thought of taking a pill from an unknown source, alone in his apartment, suddenly felt less like a solution and more like a gamble with his life.
The next morning, instead of checking his tracking number, Elias walked down to the community health center. It took four hours to see a nurse practitioner, but when he finally walked out, he had a legitimate plan, a proper assessment of his anxiety, and the safety of knowing exactly what was going into his body.