Yellow Xanax refers to a rectangular 2mg alprazolam bar produced by the pharmaceutical company Actavis Pharma. The yellow bar has three grooves so you can divide it by four easily. The drug comes with an imprint that indicates R 0 3 9 to differentiate the drug from other yellow pills. Because of its similar look with Xanax except for its color, people refer to this pill as yellow Xanax, which is easier to remember compared to calling it yellow alprazolam. The yellow rectangular look also resembles a school bus which was why the slang name “yellow school bus” was coined.
Another available yellow Xanax pill is the S 901 pill which contains 0.5 mg of Alprazolam. Other available colors of alprazolam include white oval with strength 0.25 mg, peach round or football-shaped pill with strength 0.5 mg, white five-sided pill with strength 0.5 mg, orange oval with strength 0.5 mg, yellow four-sided pill with strength 1 mg, blue oval with strength 1 mg, blue round with strength 2 mg, white rectangle with strength 2 mg, and green three-sided pill with strength 3 mg.
Fake benzodiazepines or benzos have become a global health threat and continue to grow internationally. Beyond the fake Xanax epidemic in the United States, alerts have been issued about them in the UK, with the British government making three new benzos, including flualprazolam, class C drugs. These illegally produced pills often have unpredictable dosages, increasing the risk of unintended overdose. Fake R039 Xanax has also turned up in Wellington possibly containing the benzodiazepine etizolam.
How to Spot Fake Yellow Xanax Bars
In their latest report on fake online pharmacies that ply their trade in the United States, the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) found more than 1,500 new websites that it considers “Not Recommended,” and of these, 31% are offering illicit prescription drugs. Studies have shown that poor quality medicines represent a global threat to public health that can result in treatment ineffectiveness, drug resistance, increased morbidity and mortality rate, economic loss, and problems to the healthcare system.
As a consumer, you may not have access to most of the test equipment used by regulatory bodies to verify the identity of a drug product. The following tips will serve as a guide to purchasing genuine yellow Xanax bars pills and help you avoid fakes;
Visual inspection
Visual inspection as stated by the World Health Organization (WHO) (1999) still remains the first step in identifying potential fake drug irrespective of the analytical methods used. This is because such observation serves as a lead to identifying fake products even in the absence of the knowledge of the physical characteristics of a genuine drug product. You are expected to examine carefully both the package and its content before purchase or use.
Visual inspection of the Package
You should:
- Examine the package and check if it appears suspicious or different from what you previously know.
- Check if the security seal has been tampered with by looking for breaks or tears in the sealing tape and seals.
- Look for unusual fonts, font sizes, print color, and spelling errors.
- Check the legibility of the information on both the primary and secondary packages.
- Check if the batch number, expiry date and manufacturer’s address on the secondary package are the same with that on the primary package.
- Check if the manufacturer’s address is traceable, that is, if it contains the exact location of the company and not just the country address.
- Check if the registration number (FDA number as the case is for products marketed or sold in United States) is properly printed or if it appears to be tampered with.
Visual inspection of the Dosage form
At this stage, you are meant to Check for differences in the physical appearance (colour uniformity, size, shape, consistency etc.) of the drug. As stated by WHO, commonly encountered physical defects that should be looked out for in tablets include:
- Excessive powder and/or pieces of tablets at the bottom of the container (from abraded, crushed or broken tablets);
- Cracks or chips in the tablets, swelling, mottling, discolouration, fusion of tablets;
- Appearance of crystal on the walls of the container or on the tablet.
- Hardening or softening, cracking, swelling, mottling or discolouration of capsule shell should also be looked out for.
Source
The source of the drug also determines if you are buying a fake yellow Xanax bar or not. Buying Mexican yellow Xanax bars exposes you to a lot of risks. Filling your prescription in a reputable pharmacy greatly reduces your chances of buying fake drugs while buying from illiterate and unqualified vendors who hawk drugs in buses, motor parks, and in the streets increases your chances of buying fake drugs.
Price
This is another way of identifying fake yellow Xanax bars. If the price is far cheaper than what is expected, then you have to think twice. However, this may not always be true, especially for some products (fake innovator/generic brands) which may be sold at the same price as the genuine ones.
Unexpected side effect
Counterfeit yellow Xanax bars most of the time contain substances other than the appropriate Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API). They may contain incorrect substances, improper dosage or hazardous substances like Fentanyl which produce unusual side effects, and worsening medical conditions after taking it. The medication should be stopped once any of the above is noticed.
Fentanyl Test
Fentanyl testing is one of the most reliable ways of telling a fake from a real yellow Xanax bar. A new University of Maryland study found fentanyl tops the list of drugs detected in overdose patients at two Baltimore hospital emergency departments. The finding suggests that hospitals and medical systems throughout the United States consider adding fentanyl, a potent synthetic opioid linked to most fatal overdoses in Maryland, to their routine drug testing panels. That is the conclusion of researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) and the Center for Substance Abuse Research (CESAR) at the University of Maryland, College Park. Currently, fentanyl is not routinely included in these panels nationwide. The procedure described below can help law enforcement agents and public health officials to pick out fentanyl-laced powders and pills.
Steps
- Crush the pill or pour the powder into a clean bowl or test tube
- Add ¼ inch of clean water to the powder in the tube or bowl and mix properly
- Dip the end of the test strip into the residue for 15 seconds, remove it, and lay it on a clean flat surface
- Check the strip after 5 minutes, (manufacturer’s directions) results may be visible sooner: One line means fentanyl (positive) Two lines mean no fentanyl (negative) NOTE: If the strip does not either have one or two lines, the test is invalid.
According to the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, consumers who purchase medications online should avoid the following: sites that are located outside of the U.S. that do not indicate any physical address; sites that do not have a license by the relevant State Boards of Pharmacy; sites without a licensed pharmacist to answer questions; and websites that do not require a prescription.
Consumers who wish to purchase drugs over the Internet should look for websites that have the Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites seal. These sites, which are created by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy, are licensed pharmacies selling FDA-approved medications to discourage the sale of counterfeit drugs from illegitimate online sources.
