Pharmaceutical diversion

Pharmaceutical diversion is the "illegal diversion of prescription drugs...." It is, simply put, "the diversion of licit drugs for illicit purposes."

Examples of how, when and why it occurs
This activity can occur in many venues; and it: "occurs in a variety of ways, by all segments of our population, in all neighborhoods, and in all workplaces. Its abuse is often overlooked by the thinking that if a doctor prescribes the drug, and a pharmacist dispenses the medication, it can’t be abused. Understanding that the top prescription drugs of abuse are every bit as addictive, abused, and valuable as illicit drugs, is sometimes difficult to comprehend."

- RxDiversion.com web page

A leading web site claims that: "Prescription drug abuse accounts for almost 30% of the overall drug problem in the United States, representing a close challenge to cocaine addiction. It is estimated that millions of Americans are addicted to prescription drugs. A large majority of these addicts are average citizens, with no prior history of drug abuse, who became addicted after first using prescription drugs for legitimate medical reasons. Often times however, these diverted prescription drugs end up on our streets where illegal drug abuse is an evergrowing problem."

- Drug Diversion 101 web site

The Cincinnati Post has reported on its frequency. John Burke, a leading expert on the issue, was quoted as saying, "Pharmaceutical diversion is kind of funny because it's going on in every community, but it appears not to exist unless you go after it purposely,"

According to the United States Department of Justice (DOJ), "Most pharmaceuticals abused in the United States are diverted by doctor shopping, forged prescriptions, theft and, increasingly, via the Internet."

"To reduce the occurrence of pharmaceutical diversion by doctor shopping and prescription fraud," the DOJ and "21 states have established prescription monitoring programs (PMPs) that facilitate the collection, analysis, and reporting of information regarding pharmaceutical drug prescriptions."