Operation UNITE : Unlawful Narcotics Investigation Treatment and Education
Pharmaceutical Diversion
Of all the major drugs of abuse, only marijuana is available as a natural, harvested product. All of the others - whether illicit drugs such as cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, or legitimately produced pharmaceuticals - must be produced or manufactured. Many problems associated with drug abuse are the result of legitimately-manufactured controlled substances being diverted from their lawful purpose into the illicit drug trade.
In Kentucky’s Fifth Congressional District, Operation UNITE is working with state and federal agencies to combat this diversion problem by utilizing the Kentucky All Schedule Prescription Electronic Reporting (KASPER) system and new reporting requirements regulating Internet pharmacies as a result of Senate Bill 63.
Many of the narcotics, depressants and stimulants manufactured for legitimate medical use are subject to abuse, and have therefore been brought under legal control. The goal of controls is to ensure that these “controlled substances” are readily available for medical use, while preventing their distribution for illicit sale and abuse.
Under federal law, all businesses that manufacture or distribute controlled drugs, all health professionals entitled to dispense, administer or prescribe them, and all pharmacies entitled to fill prescriptions must register with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Registrants must comply with a series of regulatory requirements relating to drug security, records accountability, and adherence to standards.
Diversion cases involve, but are not limited to, physicians who sell prescriptions to drug dealers or abusers; pharmacists who falsify records and subsequently sell the drugs; employees who steal from inventory; executives who falsify orders to cover illicit sales; prescription forgers; and individuals who commit armed robbery of pharmacies and drug distributors. According to the DEA, the largest problem nationally results from the criminal activity of physicians and pharmacy personnel.
UNITE operates a dedicated Diversion Unit. The 6 detectives in this unit focus their investigations on:
Individuals who obtain legal prescriptions but choose to sell all or part of their medication.
Individuals who obtain prescriptions from multiple doctors -- a practice known as “doctor shopping.”
Inspecting pharmacy records to ensure compliance with regulations to log pseudoephedrine, ephedrine or phenylpropanolamine purchases correctly.
Strict enforcement of the 9 grams per person within a 30-day period limitation placed on the sale or transfer of pills or capsules containing pseudoephedrine, ephedrine or phenylpropanolamine in order to curb methamphetamine production in the region.
Some information describing pharmaceutical diversion was taken from the U.S. Department of Justice, Drug Enforcement Administration, Diversion Control Program website.
Operation UNITE : Unlawful Narcotics Investigation Treatment and Education
Official Site of Operation UNITE
2292 S. Highway 27, Somerset, KY 42501
606-677-6179 ● Toll Free 1-866-OP-UNITE ● Fax 606-677-6166
Operation UNITE : Unlawful Narcotics Investigation Treatment and Education
