There’s no question that prescription drug abuse is a big problem in the U.S. According to the CDC, deaths from opioids now outnumber deaths from cocaine and heroin combined.
When it comes to stopping prescription drug abuse and diversion, pharmacists are in a tough spot. Opioid painkillers are increasingly overprescribed. “Pill mills” are churning out scripts to keep patients happy. Drug dealers and addicts are always finding new ways to cheat the system. And to make matters worse, law enforcement is cracking down on prescribers and pharmacies when cases of abuse aren’t caught.
This leaves pharmacists to walk the fine line between denying prescriptions they find questionable, and ensuring that legitimate pain patients have access to the drugs they need.
To help pharmacists better assess which cases deserve a closer look, the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) and the Anti-Diversion Industry Working Group (ADIWG) created Red Flags, a video that helps identify warning signs of prescription drug abuse and diversion.
Here are a few things to look out for:
If the patient:
- Has multiple prescriptions with multiple prescribers
- Comes in at a busy time of day, or in a group of patients with the same prescription
- Pays cash for an opioid
- Shows unusual behavior
- Uses street slang (like “Oxy” or “Xannies”)
- Asks to fill prescriptions that include a combination of an opiate, a benzodiazepine and a muscle relaxant
If the prescriber:
- Is specialized in an area of medicine not usually associated with pain management
- Is under Federal or state investigation
- Is located unusually far from the pharmacy
