Diverting Pharmaceutical drugs from their prescribed and appropriate use is a major problem not only to our law enforcement but also to our health care professionals. The goal of this course is to present an in-depth overview of various prescription substances, review their symptomatology, learn CSA & Drug Scheduling, and discuss diversion techniques which sworn law enforcement officers will likely encounter in their duties. Methods of diversion such as prescription forgery, doctor shopping, faking illness and injuries, nursing home drug diversion, internet pharmacies, and “gray market” pharmacies will be discussed. Included are investigative techniques to detect activity and apprehend violators.
This course may be adapted to address the needs and issues of the patrol officer or that of the narcotics investigator.
Course Objectives
- Understand the three common categories of Pharmaceuticals and their related symptomatology
- Understand the Controlled Substance Act and the method of scheduling Controlled Substances
- Learn the most commonly abused pharmaceuticals
- Learn the common pharmaceutical drug diversion methods
- Understand the additional crimes related to committing a prescription fraud
- Understand patrol procedures in response to an in-progress Rx fraud
- Understand prescription records for both controlled and non-controlled substances
- Understand the method of construction and meaning behind DEA numbers
- Learn to identify the characteristics of forged prescriptions
- Understand the meaning of the various prescription abbreviations
- Understand the peculiarities related to physician and nurse investigations
- Understand the Internet’s role in Pharmaceutical Drug Diversion
- Learn what Grey Market pharmacies are and how they operate
Overview of topics
- Diversion Methods
- Brief Historical Review of Opiates
- Drug identification & symptomatology
- Controlled Substance Act & Drug Scheduling
- In-progress prescription fraud for the patrol officer
- Doctor Shopping
- Prescription Fraud
- Nurses & Nursing Homes
- Internet Rx
- Limited Pharmacies (closed door)
- Additional Resources