Drug Theft = Drug Diversion: Prescription Drugs Stolen from Shipment in Modesto

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This month, prescription medication was stolen from an unattended courier van in Modesto. Why would anyone steal prescription drugs? Because they can be sold on the black market and also used to “salt” batches of counterfeit drugs to fool inspectors.

On August 22, a batch of prescription medication was reported stolen from a courier van as it stopped to make deliveries at a local hospital, according to Freightwatch International. The driver returned to his van to find the lock broken, and cargo missing. Last mile deliveries, often the last step in the supply chain for shipped pharmaceuticals have experienced a rash of cargo thefts in the last year, with 29 reported so far in 2013, reports Freightwatch.

The theft of prescription drugs, be they antidepressants or asthma inhalers, is a growing problem in the United States. The reasons pharmaceuticals get stolen are manifold, according to Partnership for Safe Medicine’s Board Member Dr. Bryan Liang, the Executive Director of the Institute of Health Law Studies at California Western School of Law. “Pharmaceuticals are small and easy to store, have big margins, and limited potential for being caught.”

Dr. Liang also describes how stolen, genuine drugs are used to “salt” shipments of counterfeits. “Salting–the process of placing real stuff [or diverted stuff] and mixing with counterfeits creates an illusion of legitimacy if inspected. Opening any box or storage container, one sees real stuff, and if one tests it, it comes out with active pharmaceutical ingredient and the real deal because it is. But the rest of the shipment is not, and hence one can salt a lot of shipments with diverted stuff.”

Pharmacists can avoid being fooled by stolen and counterfeit drugs, by following the Simple Steps to Safe Sourcing. Knowing your suppliers and checking a drug’s pedigree before purchase will help protect your patients from dishonest vendors and dangerous counterfeits.

By S. Imber