The Diversion of Prescription Drugs by Health Care Workers in Cincinnati, Ohio

Abstract

Data are reported from drug diversion cases involving health care workers who were investigated by the Cincinnati Police Division Pharmaceutical Diversion Squad over an 11-year period. This type of information is rarely available because few U.S. police jurisdictions dedicate resources to prescription drug diversion surveillance. Data from 1992 through 2002 show that opioids were the drugs most commonly diverted by health care workers, followed by benzodiazepines. Nurses, nursing assistants, and medical assistants were involved in almost three quarters of all cases. Hospitals were the most common sources of complaint to police, followed by pharmacies. Health care professional associations are advised to promote greater awareness of drug misuse and dependence concerns among their memberships, and health care facilities that stock pharmaceuticals liable for misuse and diversion are advised to increase the security of their supplies.

Keywords:

• OxyContin®
• prescription drug abuse
• drug misuse
• prescription drug diversion
• hydrocodone
• health care workers

Notes

¹OxyContin® is a sustained-release formulation of oxycodone, a narcotic pain reliever similar to, but more potent than, morphine. OxyContin® is designed to slowly release oxycodone over time, allowing it to be used only twice daily. However, breaking, chewing, or crushing OxyContin® tablets causes a large amount of the drug to be released all at once, potentially resulting in a dangerous or fatal drug overdose.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

James A. Inciardi

James A. Inciardi, Ph.D., is Director of the Center for Drug and Alcohol Studies at the University of Delaware; Professor in the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice at Delaware; Adjunct Professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health at the University of Miami School of Medicine; a Guest Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul in Porto Alegre, Brazil; and a member of the Internal Advisory Committee of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. He has done extensive research and consulting work both nationally and internationally and has published more than 50 books and more than 350 articles and chapters in the areas of substance abuse, criminology, criminal justice, history, folklore, public policy, AIDS, medicine, and law.

Hilary L. Surratt

Hilary L. Surratt, Ph.D., is an Associate Scientist with the Center for Drug and Alcohol Studies at the University of Delaware; a Guest Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul in Porto Alegre, Brazil; the Principal Investigator of an HIV/AIDS prevention initiative in the United States Virgin Islands; and the Co-Principal Investigator and Project Director of “Women Protecting Women”—an HIV, hepatitis, and violence prevention program for street sex workers in Miami, Florida. She has published widely in both English and foreign language journals and other media in the areas of AIDS, substance abuse, and drug policy.

Steven P. Kurtz

Steven P. Kurtz, Ph.D., is a Scientist with the Center for Drug and Alcohol Studies at the University of Delaware. Dr. Kurtz has a broad background in qualitative and quantitative research among diverse populations in South Florida, Latin America, and the Caribbean, primarily focused on women sex workers and men who have sex with men. His publications include articles on HIV risk behaviors and drug abuse, including the misuse and diversion of prescription medications.

John J. Burke

John J. Burke, A.S., a law enforcement officer for 37 years, is currently the Commander of the Greater Warren County Drug Task Force in southwest Ohio. Formerly with the Cincinnati Police Division, Commander Burke established his department's Pharmaceutical Diversion Squad, which he commanded until his retirement in 1999. Commander Burke has provided education and lectured across the United States to law enforcement and health professionals on the topic of prescription drug abuse; he has published numerous articles on the topic and is the author of a monthly column in Pharmacy Times on the topic pharmaceutical diversion. In addition, he is the vice president of the National Association of Drug Diversion Investigators.