Brand protection firm MarkMonitor has released its latest "Brandjacking Index," a study that tracks the online presence of six major drugs to determine if the products are being sold by unreputable pharmacies, used in unsolicited spam e-mail, or being counterfeited outright.

The results show that in June 2008, more than 20,000 websites abused drug trademarks. Included in the figures were 2,986 suspicious online pharmacies delivering 60 million spam e-mail. Although the six drugs have not named, they are thought to include a lifestyle drug, a sleep aid, anti-cholesterol, and an ulcer medication.

The biggest increase, year on year, is an 87 percent boost in offensive content on sites that are marketing pharmaceuticals. More concerning is a 66 percent spike in e-commerce sites marketing pharmaceuticals, which jumped from 3,052 in the second-quarter of 2007 to 5,070 in the same period this year.

While the number of bogus online pharmacies is growing, so is the traffic at the sites and the deep discounts being offered. It was also noted that these sites are engaging in paid advertisement to draw consumers.

Masters is recognized as a registered pharmacy with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain, and by the Florida State Department of Health.