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Your own death sentence: Counterfeit pills and how to avoid them

Central Georgia officials say there are reports of six more overdose cases - possibly related to fake Percocet pills.

MACON, Ga. -- Central Georgia officials say there are reports of six more overdose cases - possibly related to fake Percocet pills.

Four people have died so far. Now a new warning is coming out from an Atlanta pharmacist. Experts tell 11Alive News that any time you buy drugs off the street, you could be handing down your own death sentence.

"She was coming around, but she's gone," Corey Bailey said.

Bailey lost, Amirrah Gillens, the love of his life, early Monday morning. Bibb County officials said Gillens is one of four people who died from a dangerous street drug masquerading as the painkiller Percocet.

"Prescription drug abuse is one of the biggest problems that we have," Bibb County Sheriff David Davis said.

Medical and law enforcement officials in central Georgia said that in the last 3 days, dozens of people have fallen prey to the fake prescription drug. Now they fear that number could rise in the coming days.

The counterfeit Percoset pill has the imprinted numbers of the real drug. But the maker's authentic logo is missing.

"The only way that you would know is that you buy it at a pharmacy," pharmacist Melanie Germany from Wender & Roberts Drugs said.

But Germany said that if the drugs are bought on the street, there's no way to trust them. Even those that do have the imprinted logo could be fake.

"You and I can make it," she said.

She said fraudulent drugs could be made using pill molds in garages. And there's no telling what's inside.

"There's no way you're going to know what they're going to put in those tablets," Germany said. "It may be something that's for veterinary use. It may be poisonous."

Her message: If it's not prescribed by a doctor, you're gambling with your life.

"You're asking for death if you're buying pills off the street," she said.

Bailey insists such a product did not lead to Amirrah's demise.

"Nothing off the streets," he said.

Ultimately, the coroner's toxicology report will determine if that's what happened. In the meantime, the hunt is still on for those selling deadly drugs perpetrating as Percocet.

"Our investigators have been following some leads," Sheriff Davis said.

So far, no arrests have been made in Fulton County.

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