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National Drug Intelligence Center National Drug Threat Assessment 2006 January 2006 PharmaceuticalsStrategic Findings
OverviewPharmaceutical drug availability and abuse are at very high levels throughout most of the country. Availability is increasing, continuing a trend that has been developing since the late 1990s; abuse has stabilized at high levels. High availability levels enable individual users to easily and inexpensively acquire drugs, primarily through theft, forged prescriptions, doctor shopping, and the fraudulent practices of some unscrupulous physicians and pharmacists. As a result, there is little involvement in pharmaceutical trafficking by DTOs. However, DTOs--particularly Mexican DTOs--could establish pharmaceutical distribution networks if users' access to the drugs was significantly reduced and illegal distribution became more profitable to criminal groups.AvailabilityNational-level data, albeit limited, indicate that the availability of illegally diverted pharmaceuticals is very high and is increasing. Although there are no conclusive estimates as to the quantity of illegally diverted pharmaceutical drugs available in U.S. drug markets, a sharp increase in commercial disbursements of individual doses of pharmaceuticals is quite likely contributing to an overall increase in availability of the drugs. From 2000 through 2004, for example, commercial disbursements of pharmaceuticals increased 109 percent (56,711,299 to 118,431,530), making significantly more pharmaceutical dosages available for illegal diversion (see Figure 3). Of particular concern during that period is the sharp rise in commercial disbursements of commonly abused pharmaceuticals such as oxycodone (15,305,915 to 29,044,686) and hydrocodone (14,118,638 to 23,617,149). Increasing pharmaceutical drug availability is reflected in law enforcement reporting via the NDTS. In fact, NDTS data show that the percentage of state and local law enforcement agencies reporting high or moderate availability of illegally diverted pharmaceuticals increased each year from 2002 (70.0%) to 2005 (80.3%), a greater increase than for any other drug during that period.Figure 3.
Commercial disbursements of commonly abused pharmaceuticals,*
Diversion and DistributionIllegal diversion of pharmaceuticals is primarily conducted by abusers through theft (from individuals, manufacturers, and dispensaries), forged prescriptions, and doctor shopping. Pharmaceutical diversion is also accomplished by abusers with the assistance of some unscrupulous physicians and pharmacists and, increasingly, via the Internet. Because individuals are able to acquire pharmaceuticals by several methods--including methods in which the drugs are paid for by insurance companies or state or federal prescription drug programs--national-level distribution of pharmaceuticals by DTOs and criminal groups is not particularly profitable and is, therefore, limited. In fact, a query of hundreds of state and local law enforcement agencies in every state in June 2005 revealed no discernible involvement in pharmaceutical drug trafficking by DTOs.AbuseThe level of abuse for most pharmaceutical drugs is very high. According to NSDUH 2004 data, rates of past year, nonmedical use of pharmaceuticals are higher than rates of use for most illicit drugs. In fact, NSDUH data show that rates of past year, nonmedical use of psychotherapeutics4 among individuals aged 12 and older (6.1%) are second only to those for marijuana (10.6%) and much higher than those for cocaine (2.4%), methamphetamine (0.6%), or heroin (0.2%). Moreover, according to MTF, rates of nonmedical use of prescription painkillers are relatively high among teenagers and include a significant increase in the abuse of OxyContin among twelfth graders (see Appendix B, Table 1 and Table 2).End Note4. Psychotherapeutics include prescription-type pain relievers, tranquilizers, sedatives, and stimulants. |
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