The Role of Pharmacies and Pharmacists in The Illegal Sale of Drugs
When administering controlled medications, many pharmacists (28.4%) do not check the prescribing physician’s DEA number frequently. Others admit to distributing a prohibited substance without a written prescription order (but following a telephone order) or with missing information on a prescription order. After graduating from pharmacy school, only about half of pharmacists receive training to identify non-medical use of prescription medicines and addiction (49.6%) and avoid diversion (48.1%).
Online Pharmacies
Up to 60% of pharmaceuticals acquired online could be fake or substandard, with more than half of those bought from sites that masked their physical address being discovered to be fraudulent. Thousands of websites sell unauthorized and fake medicines, including prescription drugs that don’t require a prescription. The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America created a webpage for patients to learn about the dangers of purchasing prescription pharmaceuticals online. The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) has developed a directory of genuinely licensed and running online pharmacies. The White House announced the foundation of a non-profit organization to educate the public about the dangers of buying drugs online.
Legislation on Internet Pharmacies
It is necessary to license the establishments and premises that people operating an Internet pharmacy use to purchase, store, or dispense internationally prohibited substances in response to requests placed over the Internet. When globally controlled substances traded through an online pharmacy are stored and dispatched from a country other than the online pharmacy’s registration country, those operating the pharmacy must also obtain a license from the government of the country where the substances are stored, and shipments are shipped from for their establishments and facilities. Online pharmacies should be designed to present information (street address, e-mail address, and phone number) specifying the physical location of the company and to reveal details identifying the pharmacist, the name of the licensing authority, and the date and number of the license affiliated with the pharmacy, upon request.
Role of Safe Hands Pharmacists in Illegal Use of Drugs
Safe Hands Pharmacy pharmacists play a crucial role in avoiding the spread of counterfeit pharmaceuticals. Our pharmacists can help address the problem of counterfeit drugs by raising awareness, providing educational materials with practical solutions, and implementing recommendations to safeguard the supply chain’s integrity.
