Criminals pressure doctors, pharmacists for painkiller prescriptions in opioid trade
Criminals are increasingly pressuring doctors and pharmacists to supply prescription painkillers for illegal distribution on the black market, according to the Health and Youth Care Inspectorate (IGJ), as cited by De Telegraaf. These painkillers, including Oxycodone and Fentanyl, are highly addictive and have become prime targets for illegal trade.
The illegal market for these substances is reportedly thriving, with criminals resorting to extreme measures, including threats and fraud, to obtain prescriptions for these powerful opioids. "The majority of these substances found during investigations in recent years have been traced back to the legal Dutch distribution network," Tom Zwaan, coordinating inspector at the IGJ, told De Telegraaf.
Zwaan explained that the drugs, which have been discovered with registration numbers and codes from licensed pharmacies, are often diverted from the legal supply chain. This has led to growing concerns, particularly as the street value of Oxycodone is now higher than heroin, making it an extremely profitable commodity for criminals.
Doctors and pharmacists have reported that criminals are increasingly using threats to coerce physicians into issuing prescriptions for large quantities of opiates. Several doctors have revealed that their personal details have been exploited to create fake prescriptions for opioids, which are then picked up at pharmacies by individuals who are often unaware of the fraud.
"The situation is deeply disturbing," says Pieter Tops, emeritus professor of Undermining Studies at Leiden University. Tops has called for a comprehensive investigation into the scale of this trade, which has allegedly proven to be extremely lucrative for criminals. He also warned that organized crime is becoming increasingly involved in the opioid trade.
One such case involved Michel, a 60-year-old man who, despite being in recovery from a long-term addiction to painkillers, still occasionally succumbs to temptation. Michel recounted how he recently purchased methadone from his dealer, noting that the prescription label featured a different name and birthdate from his own. "My dealer told me how he gets opioids for resale by threatening doctors to issue prescriptions," Michel explained to De Telegraaf.
Health professionals, including addiction specialist Ineke de Noord, have encountered firsthand the increasing pressure placed on pharmacists to fill fraudulent opioid prescriptions. De Noord shared an alarming experience where a man attempted to collect an entire year's worth of Fentanyl nasal sprays using a fake prescription. "These are highly addictive opiates that should only be prescribed to terminally ill patients," de Noord told De Telegraaf.
This issue isn't isolated. De Noord revealed that in the past two years, at least ten fraudulent prescriptions have been made using her name. While some pharmacists have caught the fraud attempts, de Noord believes that many slip through the cracks. "On one occasion, a night pharmacist told me he had been threatened into handing over opioids," she recounted.
Pharmacy representatives are also raising alarms about the widespread use of stolen doctor information. Aris Prins, the president of the Dutch Association of Pharmacists (KNMP), emphasized that organized crime syndicates are now hacking into doctors' records to generate fake prescriptions. These criminals have learned to exploit gaps in the system, often targeting addiction specialists and psychiatrists who prescribe opioids more frequently than general practitioners.
"The problem is much larger than we think," Prins told De Telegraaf, pointing to the increasing use of identity theft to commit fraud in pharmacies. He urged for stronger security measures, particularly in cases involving highly addictive medications.
Prins also suggested that all patient medication histories should be available to pharmacists to prevent fraudulent prescriptions from slipping through the system. "The current system allows for too much exploitation," he concluded.
While the IGJ is primarily responsible for combating the illegal distribution of prescription medications, the police are encouraging doctors and pharmacists to report threats and fraud attempts. "We are committed to working with all parties involved to address this issue," said a police spokesperson.
