Pharmacists and Illegal Activity

Criminal Behavior and Healthcare Professionals: An Examination of Pharmacists When it comes to health care professionals like doctors, nurses, pharmacists or nurse practitioners, it's hard to picture them engaged in actions that are not helping-focused, as these professional have ultimately devoted their lives towards helping other people. However, the reality is that these health care professionals are people too and still subject to weaknesses, temptation and even criminal activity.

This paper will examine the reality of pharmacists becoming addicted to the controlled substances they are responsible for along with the phenomenon of rogue pharmacists who help facilitate the illegal drug trade. When it comes to pharmacists and prescription drug abuse, many people are unaware of just how common this actually is. As one pharmacists explains, "According to statistics, many of us do take part in self-medicating. A study by McAuliffe et al. reported that 46% of pharmacists use prescription drugs without a prescription.

Sixty-two percent of pharmacy students surveyed had used a prescription drug with no prescription. Also, 20% of pharmacists reported they had used a prescription drug without a prescription at least five times or more in their lives" (Combs, 2009). Given these statistics there needs to be a greater impetus of regulation of pharmacist behavior and a better and more effective means of assisting pharmacists who are high-risk when it comes to addiction. Essentially, these healthcare professionals need more resources.

They need more resources to regulate their behavior and they need more resources to help them prevent engaging in prescription drug abuse. If patients or consumers think that their pharmacist is engaging in drug abuse or other illicit acts concerning the abuse or misuse of prescription pills, then there is a civil complaint process which does exist. For example, the consumer would want to immediately contact the Board of Pharmacy for the particular state where the pharmacist practices.

Generally, going to the official website of that particular state board of pharmacist should be adequate. There, one can file a complaint online or print out the complaint form and complete it by hand and mail it in. The website also provides guidelines for what qualifies as pharmacist misconduct and other issues. The board of pharmacists is truly a crucial regulatory entity, as pharmacists are essential when it comes to preventing drug abuse. "Pharmacists are supposed to be a last line of defense against misuse of prescription medications.

By law, they are required to scrutinize prescriptions, size up customers and refuse to dispense a drug when they suspect the patient has no medical need for it" (Glover, 2012). Thus, this particular regulatory agency has a pretty extreme role: they have the responsibility to take swift and immediate investigative action against any rogue pharmacists who might be dispensing prescription drugs illegally or who might be abusing drugs themselves.

This board has the power to revoke the license of any pharmacist who is found to be doing exactly that, and also have the ability to apply swift disciplinary action to such pharmacists, such as by suspending their licenses. Abuses perpetrated by pharmacists who use drugs or who illegally dispense drugs to others are viewed as criminal acts, rather than mere professional misconduct. These are pretty serious criminal liabilities as they are seen as the key enablers of drug abuse and a crucial source of supply for the illegal market.

While state official who license and regulate pharmacies are there to do their jobs and to ensure that this abuse and illegal activity doesn't occur, the scale of the problem is intense. Rogue pharmacists are the ones who provide massive amounts of painkillers and anti-anxiety drugs to addicts and dealers with no questions asked (Glover, 2012). "California's 42,000 pharmacists filled 318 million prescriptions last year. Those for OxyContin, Dilaudid and other potent painkillers have increased 52% over the last five years, according to a review of prescription data collected by the state.

The total dosage dispensed by pharmacies has also grown: by nearly 50%, the data show" (Glover, 2012). IN Californis, there are only 37 investigators who are part of the California Board of Pharmacy: they continually struggle to keep up with identifying cavalier or corrupt pharmacists and engaging in the necessary disciplinary action that is required (Glover, 2012). This is such a difficult task because new pharmacies crop up every day.

The reality is that when it comes to preventing pharmacist drug abuse or illegal or careless dispensing of prescription drugs, there really aren't any effective risk management strategies or quality assurance programs that exist. That's why pharmacists are so fundamental in fueling the illegal prescription drug trade. So pharmacies deliver unconscionable quanities of drugs to patients: "It doesn't help that illegal dispensing is a low priority for law enforcement agencies. Criminal prosecutions are rare and penalties typically light" (Glover, 2012).

This is a large reason as to why pharmacists continue to abuse prescription drugs and dispense large numbers of highly addictive pills. Doctors and pharmacists generally have a symbiotic relationship in this regard, as one cannot function without the other. The rogue pharmacists need a doctor who is willing to write prescriptions for large quantities of painkillers or anti-anxiety drugs; addictsand dealers need a pharmacist who is willing to dispense such drugs without the necessary scrutiny.

If criminal charges are filed for criminal behavior regarding a pharmacists for any of the described acts, then a criminal investigation will occur as will a professional investigation led by the state board of pharmacy. There might be a possible criminal hearing or even a trial with potential jail time or other disciplinary action for the pharmacist in question.

The state board have taken more aggravated professional and disciplinary action against pharmacists who have either abused prescription drugs or who have not taken the proper protocol to ensure that customer prescriptions were for legitimate medical needs. "Since 2006, five pharmacists have had their licenses revoked on those grounds, according to board records. Twelve others surrendered their licenses, and 22 were placed on probation. Over the same period, 23 California pharmacies have been sanctioned for similar offenses" (Glover, 2012).

However, these corrupt pharmacists continue to provide a massive boost to addicts and dealers and are absolutely instrument in helping to fuel the underground economy.