Counterfeit “Advantage” and “Frontline” Warning
The following is some very important information that every pet owner needs to read.
Counterfeit flea and tick prevention products are on the market, the EPA is stepping in. Read what you can do to protect your dog, these products could put your pet at risk.
What action is EPA announcing?
EPA, in cooperation with its state and regional regulatory partners, is announcing the issuance of stop sale, use, and removal orders to retailers and other distributors of certain counterfeit pesticide products for control of fleas and ticks on dogs and cats. The stop sale, use, and removal orders are intended to disrupt an effort to distribute counterfeit pet pesticides. The counterfeit pesticides appear to have been unlawfully imported and were packaged in cartons designed to look like legitimately registered pesticides available in the U.S. under the trade names “Advantage” and “Frontline.” The orders prohibit retailers and other distributors from distributing or selling the counterfeit pesticide products and require their proper disposal.
Why is EPA taking this action?
EPA is responsible for assuring that all pesticides sold in the United States do not cause adverse effects under EPA-approved label use conditions. The counterfeiters have placed foreign labeled applicator package inserts in counterfeited Advantage and Frontline retail cartons printed to resemble the U.S. -registered products. Frontline products, among other things, may be missing instruction leaflets bearing directions for use required under U.S. law. Further, the Frontline applicators may not be in the required child-resistant packaging. In addition to the inadequate labeling and packaging, consumers cannot be assured that the counterfeiters inserted the appropriate size applicator for the animal pictured or otherwise indicated on the retail carton of either the Advantage or Frontline products. So, use of the counterfeit products may put the treated pet at risk.
Are all of the Frontline and Advantage brands of pesticides counterfeit?
Consumers should be aware that the Frontline and Advantage brands of pesticides are registered by EPA. The manufacturers of these two product lines are not implicated in the enforcement actions EPA is announcing. However, product inventory that may be available at the retail level at this time could include both counterfeit and legitimately registered and marketed pesticides. Therefore, EPA is advising you about this problem and recommending that you determine whether the product you are considering or have purchased appears to be a counterfeit of the EPA-registered pesticides.
What products are affected by this action?
The following are brand names and EPA registration numbers of legitimate products. The counterfeit products may use these same names and numbers.
* Frontline Top Spot for Cats (EPA Reg. No. 65331-2)
* Frontline Top Spot for Dogs (EPA Reg. No. 65331-3)
* Frontline Plus for Cats (EPA Reg. No. 65331-4)
* Frontline Plus for Dogs (EPA Reg. No. 65331-5)
* Advantage 10 for Dogs (EPA Reg. No. 11556-117)
* Advantage 20 for Dogs (EPA Reg. No. 11556-119)
* Advantage 55 for Dogs (EPA Reg. No. 11556-120)
* Advantage 100 for Dogs (EPA Reg. No. 11556-122)
* Advantage 9 for Cats (EPA Reg. No. 11556-116)
* Advantage 18 for Cats (EPA Reg. No. 11556-118)
Go to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) website to learn how to determine if you have purchased legitimate products, who to contact if you didn’t, and how to dispose of counterfeit ones.
A great public service. I had a client last year with multiple animals flea infested with frontline packaging that said it was made in England. it must have been counterfeit as it did not work,
Celebrate Earth Day and try some of the many Chemical Free alternatives. Your pet and Planet Earth will thank you!
PlanetBlueDog
Never buy any medication on the internet. For your pets go to your veterinarian, for your own meds go to your pharmacist.
Flea and Tick medication can be toxic to many pets and should only be used under the supervision of a Vet. There are some natural alternatives and good grooming and bathing can help with flea prevention.
Bully Sticks
Merial does sell in Australia. The APVMA (www.apvma.gov.au) requires expiration dates to be on veterinary medicines.
I don’t know why just because something is not made in the US, there is paranoia about it’s “quality”. The australian online retailers sell the same products as the australian vets, which is the same product as the US vets only DIFFERENT PACKAGING REGULATIONS!!!!!!
I have done alot research on this and I do not believe everything you have said is correct…The “counterfeit”is 100% real it is just packaged to be sold in the AU…it is EXACTLY the same product but it is in the european measurements (they use the metric system there is no reason for them to use pounds or oz!) The prices are cheaper there bc they require no prescription unlike the US vets, if its says MERIAL on it then it IS viable. The EPA and the US Merial branch do not want you to buy these products at discount prices(bigger profits for themselves, Merial is a huge corporation think about it). The REAL Frontline Plus from AU DOES in fact have orange stripes on it. I get mine from across seas and have never had a tick or flea (and if you have an honest vet like mine they will tell you the exact same thing). Yes some sites such as Ebay and Amazon do sell counterfeits but not all of these european sites are bad. Bottom line if it says Merial then its the correct product, AU and other countries are not governed by the same guidelines as the US and therefore do not package their products the same way (i.e. warning inserts, weight measurements, ect.) even though they are EXACTLY the same. Dont believe all the hype the US Gov and EPA are pushing in your face, save some money and quit paying bloated vet fees.
http://forums.dealofday.com/internet-retail-deals/121615-its-time-year-again-fleas-ticks-3.html
http://au.merial.com/