Officials warn of prescription pill abuse

According to the latest statistics obtained from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) Crime Lab in Atlanta, of the 638 deaths contributed to overdoses in Georgia last year, 543 of those were prescription drug related. The most common prescription drugs associated with the overdose deaths were Methadone, Xanax, Hydrocodone, and Oxycodone.

Prescription medication is quickly replacing marijuana as the “experimental” drug of choice for teenagers. According to GBI ASAC Jamie Jones, Commander of the Oconee Drug Task Force, young people appear to rationalize that the prescription drugs are not as dangerous as illicit drugs since they are manufactured commercially in scientific laboratories and distributed daily across the country by medical personnel to thousands of patients. Acquiring the prescription drugs is as easy as purchasing them from a street level dealer, who may be a close friend or a total stranger. However, one of the more common methods of obtaining the medication is by raiding the medicine cabinet at home. Parents are encouraged to secure any current supplies of prescription medication in a locked cabinet. More importantly, any past prescriptions that may still be occupying the medicine cabinet should be destroyed.

Aside from teenagers, adults are also at risk and routinely fall victim to the highly addictive medications. Quite often drug task force personnel determine a pill abuser/supplier is a patient who legitimately begins taking the medication for pain or some other ailment. If they fail to take the medication as directed and increase the dosage without consulting a physician, a dependence on the medication can quickly develop. As time progresses, this dependence becomes an addiction. This addiction requires more pain medication than one physician will prescribe, thus the patient begins to “doctor shop”. Here, an addicted patient goes to various doctors throughout the community and/or region on a repetitive basis with the intent of illegally obtaining numerous prescriptions for medications through deceptive means. The majority of physicians are unaware of the patient’s intent and likely prescribes the medication if they think it is warranted. After attaining a prescription, the patient will go to different pharmacies to fill them in order to avoid suspicion. Once the pills are in hand, some are kept for personal consumption and the remainder is sold. The following month, the abuser begins doctor shopping again to re-supply.

Aside from the reward of a free high, pill distributors are also involved in the business for monetary gain. Painkillers such as Oxycontin can bring up to 4-times their net worth on the street. Due to their addiction, most severe abusers are unable to maintain employment, thus they turn to dealing pills to supplement their income. The monetary gain associated with the pill trade also attracts the common drug dealer to this arena. Dealers of illicit street drugs, such as cocaine or marijuana, are aware of the financial incentives prescription medication provide, thus they have also began to incorporate pain medication into their inventory. Dealers with no medical need for pain medication also follow the same steps as addicted patients to obtain the drugs, or they establish ties with a patient and utilize their deceptive practices to acquire pills to be sold on the street. Other means such as internal fraud among employees of a physician’s office and the theft of prescription pads are also common.

Regardless of how the medication is obtained, there is no shortage of it on the street. Its effects are as harmful and addictive as the illicit drugs and plagues our community just the same. The illegal distribution of prescription medication is no different than that any other illegal drug and is investigated the same by law enforcement authorities. Individuals caught selling prescription pain medications are charged with Felony Distribution, which carries a minimum sentence of 10-years in prison.

As with illicit drugs, citizens who wish to provide information are encouraged to contact the Oconee Drug Task Force at 478-448-4685 or toll free at 1-877-448-4685.