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Good Afternoon, Mr. Chairman,
honorable members of the Committee. I am Christine
Coulter of the Philadelphia Police Department’s
Narcotics Bureau. I am assigned to the Narcotics Intelligence Squad. I am
honored to be here today to speak to you on behalf of the Philadelphia Police
Department regarding the abuse of Oxycontin in the communities we serve. I must
admit that prior to the fall of 2000 I knew very little about Oxyconyin.
In the months to follow there was a concerted
effort made by my colleagues and myself to learn all that we could so we could
better combat this emerging problem.I will leave the medical testimony for the
medical professionals regarding the legitimate use of Oxycontin. I am here today
to testify solely about the drug’s abuse in Philadelphia and our surrounding
counties, and law enforcement efforts to combat this problem. The effects of
this abuse has been devastating to many families and communities in our area.The
increase in deaths in Philadelphia where there was a presence of Oxycodone in
the body is quite alarming. The Office of the Medical Examiner reported 17 cases
in 1999, 41 cases in 2000, and as of June 30th, 2001 there were
already 39 reported cases. This will likely result in the death toll from abuse
of this drug doubling in two consecutive years. Although Oxycodone is present in
other substances of abuse, and there were indications that other pills and
alcohol were also contributing factors, we would be remiss to not react to the
increase with a sense of urgency.
The abuse of Oxycontin in Philadelphia is a
rather recent development. Beginning last year we began to experience some of
the problems that our fellow law enforcement officers in the surrounding areas
have dealt with for quite some time. The migration to
the city and surrounding suburbs happened
quickly, necessitating the development of a strategy that would stem the tide of
Oxycontin abuse. We had to quickly examine the areas of diversion so we could
implement a suitable plan to combat abuse.
An analysis was done and it was determined that
there were three major methods of diversion present in our city. The first is
the outright theft of the products, or prescription pads, from legitimate
patients, pharmacies, or practitioners, by relatives, employees, or others,
including burglars and robbers.
Second, individuals without legitimate medical
necessity can obtain Oxycontin by reporting made-up symptoms of pain to an
unwary, uneducated, or disinterested practitioner. This method is a low-risk
alternative for the pill diverter, since the prescription is issued in the
person’s name, and often low cost as well, since medical insurance normally
covers most of the cost of the pill. This also engenders the practice of
"Doctor- Shopping", going from one doctor to another, giving the same
complaint, and getting the medications repeatedly prescribed. It is not uncommon
to do so using multiple names and prescription plans, and having prescriptions
filled at multiple pharmacies to camouflage the fraudulent practice.
The third and often the largest diversion method
are "pill-mill" operations, whereby corrupt doctors and/or pharmacists
conspire with pill traffickers to write or fill fraudulent prescriptions for
"ghost" patients, and then selling the drugs on the street at up to
100% profit. There is also the presence of insurance fraud in this diversion
method, as health plans both private and governmental are billed by providers
for falsely reported office treatments and prescriptions dispensed.
High volume operations such as
"pill-mills" lend themselves to tracking by audits of physician
records and pharmacy orders of commonly abused controlled substances such as
Oxycontin. Drug Diversion Agents of both the Drug Enforcement Administration and
the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, Bureau of Narcotics Investigation
and Drug Control have the ability to administratively inspect and analyze such
records. There is currently a tremendous amount of cooperation with these
agencies, which enable us to build strong cases, while eliminating duplication
of efforts and wasted resources. Local law enforcement, however, do not
presently have the authority to administratively subpoena prescription records.
Enabling local police officers to analyze these records will encourage a more
proactive investigation of drug diversion conspirators on the local level.
Coupled with aggressive prosecution and enhanced sentencing of licensed health
care professionals engaged in prescription drug diversion schemes, it may also
discourage such corrupt practices. There is also a need for legislation to make
all pharmaceutical thefts a felony, factoring in the street value of the drug
into the equation. There was also a great need to train our officers as well as
educate health care providers and the public alike. Training bulletins were
prepared for officers and seminars were attended to gain insight into the
problems associated with Oxycontin abuse. In an effort to better educate the
public, the police department incorporated Oxycontin as well as other
prescription drugs of abuse into its Heroin Education and Dangerous Substance
Use prevention ( or HEADS-UP) program, which educates middle to high school age
children, as well as parent and community groups, in hour long presentations by
police, recovering addicts, and surviving family members of overdose victims.
Since April of 2001 this program was presented to over 11,500 people.
There are currently several significant
investigations being conducted by the Philadelphia Police Department and by
joint task forces with local, state, and federal agents that deal with Oxycontin
Diversion. This is however a problem that we cannot arrest our way out of. It
will require a balanced blend of prevention, treatment, and enforcement. It will
also require legislative changes to act as a strong deterrent. There have
already been too many deaths. The attention that this committee hopefully will
bring to the problem is just the beginning of the concerted efforts needed to
prevent further escalation. I thank you for your attention. I am available for
any follow-up questions you may have.
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