Monday, June 9, 2008

Crime Pattern ID: Prescription Fraud

Pattern: Prescription Fraud

Victims: pharmacies, veterinarians, insurance industry who pay for multiple illegal prescriptions inadvertently 

Perpetrators: addicts, black market 

Locations: pharmacies in drug stores, hospitals, clinics  

Times: not a significant variable except in theft series

Tools: forging tools in the case of forged prescriptions

Vehicles/Transportation Routes: individuals will go to various doctors for multiple prescriptions

Stolen Goods: prescription pads may be stolen

Method: forging prescriptions, going to several doctors to get multiple prescriptions (termed “doctor shopping”), and altering prescriptions to increase the quantity

Motive: to obtain drugs

Query Terms: prescription, pharmacy, drug store, forged, signature, pills, narcotics, codeine, methadone, Demerol (meperidine), Percocet, Vicodin, and OxyContin, etc.

Suggestions: track all cases of prescription fraud - do a problem study of this issue in your jurisdiction - it is a billion dollar problem nationally that is seldom addressed.

Resources:
The Problem of Prescription Fraud
A Pharmacist's Guide to Prescription Fraud

No comments:

Post a Comment