Pharmacies are proven to be the most attainable source of prescription drugs for substance abusers. According to the Nation Institute of Health (NIH), approximately 16.1 million Americans reported misusing prescription drugs in 2020. Furthermore, it has been noted that eighth grade students are more likely to misuse Adderall, Ritalin and amphetamines than high school students. The recent upswing in overdose death rates is linked to the abuse of prescription painkillers. Per the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), more than 16,500 Americans passed from the misuse of prescription painkillers in 2010 which exceeds the sum of the death rates caused by cocaine and heroin. Although there are policies in place to prevent such gluttonous activity, pharmacies lack the ability to enforce discontinuity in these trends.
The Loopholes
There are three major loopholes in obtaining more than what is prescribed: emergency supplies, out-of-pocket payments and lack of closure. All three of these activities are situational. However, pharmacy staff are trained to be alert in analyzing the validity of the situation in order to determine whether the patient is partaking in addictive behaviors.
Emergency Supplies
Emergency supplies are given to patients on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of the pharmacist on duty. Some pharmacists refuse to release emergency supplies altogether based on their own personal ethics and morals. Meanwhile, others may allow it if the drug is not within a controlled class and it is an extenuating circumstance such as an out-of-stock exception, hospitalization or rehabilitation. It is up to the pharmacist to verify the truth of the patient's reasoning in order to decipher whether to provide a supply or not.
Out-of-Pocket Expenses
Patients who pay out-of-pocket for a prescription may be more subject to abuse substances in an effort to surpass limits set in place by health insurance companies. Health insurance covers particular drugs at pharmacies within their network for a certain number of days supply. Substance abusers often pass the blockade by paying cash for the prescription to avoid a third-party rejection.
Moreover, they often travel great distances to receive prescriptions even if it is out of the state. Obtaining the same prescription from multiple different pharmacies poses as suspicious activity as well.
Failure to Close Prescriptions
It is very important to ensure any prescriptions that are no longer being used are closed. Not only does it help conserve resources, but is protects others as well.
Picking up prescriptions that are no longer prescribed can be very dangerous especially if the patient is put on an alternate medication. It is quite common for specific drugs to interact with one another causing a drug utilization review exception for the pharmacist. Having unused medications in the household can put friends and family at risk due to temptation. Individuals as young as twelve years of age report misusing prescription drugs as they obtain them from within their household or relatives. Make sure to call the pharmacy for a prescription closure if the prescriber removes a medication from the health regimen. Pharmacy employees take great care in the prevention and identification of addictive behaviors. Despite their efforts, a grey area exists between the need to help others and compliance with regulations.
