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Crossing Over State Lines with Painkiller Prescriptions

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For some time now, the Midwest and other locations in the United States have been inundated with prescription drugs flowing in from Broward County, Florida (Fort Lauderdale). The root of the problem appears to be the almost 200 pain management practices located in Broward County and the constant flow of Ohioans and others to these clinics. Some of these clinics are not owned by physicians but by energetic entrepreneurs.

Vanloads of midwesterners have traveled the 1000-plus miles to obtain multiple prescriptions for oxycodone and other controlled substances. Our task force is seeing this firsthand, as we receive offers to purchase as many as 400 tablets at a time, ranging from $6 to $8 per pill and sometimes even more, depending on supply and demand. [Read more…]

The Issue with Sharing Medications

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A media story out of Great Falls, Montana, about a prescription overdose death reminds me that many people still do not realize that sharing their prescription drugs with those to whom they were not prescribed can have tragic endings.

The story describes how a woman, who was legitimately prescribed fentanyl, gave her boyfriend some of the powerful drug for a headache, causing his death. The woman has been charged with negligent homicide, and in the meantime has lost a very close friend. There is no indication as to what form of fentanyl was prescribed and given to the boyfriend, but the drug-related death was documented through an autopsy. [Read more…]

A Pharmacist’s Dilemma?

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Recently, on a list server in which I participate, a pharmacist was posing a question to the health professionals, law enforcement officers, and regulators as to the course of action needed in a dispensing issue. It seems a local doctor was prescribing extra-strength hydrocodone and acetaminophen combination to the tune of 120 pills every 9 to 10 days, creating the intake of at least 9 g of acetaminophen per day for the patient!

The physician had been warned twice by the pharmacy, yet he continued to prescribe the medication, and the patient continued to have it filled at the complaining pharmacy. Understandably, the pharmacist was feeling very uncomfortable being involved in filling these prescriptions, and offered the situation to the group for input. [Read more…]

How BIG is the problem?

Year after year, state and local law enforcement statistics indicate that pharmaceuticals are almost 30% of the overall drug problem in the United States, running a close second only marijuana abuse. However, until recently, law enforcement, health care professionals, and the general public have placed little emphasis on this huge problem.

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About PDE

Pharmaceutical Diversion Education (PDE) is designed to assist a wide range of the population in understanding the potential abuse and addiction that can be associated with prescription medication.

Drug Diversion:
Any Criminal Act Involving a Prescription Drug.

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