Prescription Drug Abuse
The Synthetic Strategy also addresses prescription drug abuse, often called the “non-medical use of prescription drugs.” The Administration’s ambitious goal of reducing prescription drug abuse by 15% by the end of 2008 must balance two general policy concerns: first, to be aggressive in reducing overall user abuse and, second, to avoid overreaching and avoid making lawful acquisition of prescription medications unduly cumbersome. The seriousness of this problem cannot be overstated, as prescription drug abuse has risen to become the second most serious drug problem measured in terms of prevalence, with past-year abusers numbering approximately 6 million.
The Administration, again in cooperation with Federal, State and local partners and with the overall strategy of prevention/education, treatment and law enforcement in mind, will continue to target doctor shopping and other prescription fraud as well as illegal online pharmacies; continue efforts to thwart thefts and burglaries from homes and pharmacies; focus on strategies to combat stereotypical drug dealing (selling of pills from a dealer to user); and investigate and prosecute those in the medical profession—as distinguished from the vast majority that prescribe appropriately—who are engaged in illegal overprescribing for profit. We will continue to work with those states that have yet to implement a prescription monitoring program.
