Pharmaceutical company helping in fight against prescription drug abuse

A pharmaceutical company has ventured into law enforcement.

Purdue Pharma LP, the manufacturer of OxyContin and other prescription medications, has joined the fight against prescription drug abuse.

Unique tablet markings, monitoring of drug counterfeiting and Internet distribution, analyses of pharmacy robbery and thefts in a database and tracking the supply chain are all part of the companys effort to combat abuse and diversion of prescription drugs.

Experts from Purdue, based in Stamford, Conn., and the FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development Associations were in Bucks County Wednesday to train more than 25 officers from all over the state on preventing and responding to prescription drug abuse and diversion.

The event, hosted by Warminster Police Chief Michael Murphy, was held at the Middle Atlantic-Great Lakes Organized Crime Law Enforcement Network office in Newtown Township.

Our goal is to keep prescription drugs out of the hands of criminals and people who abuse and traffic them and we try to make sure that legitimate patients have access to them, said Landon Gibbs, director of law enforcement liaison and education at Purdue.

Providing law enforcement with information helps them do their job successfully and spread awareness throughout the area about growing problem of abuse and thefts, he added.

That information can be found at RxPATROL, which is an information clearinghouse conceived, developed and funded for data related to pharmacy robberies, burglaries and thefts involving controlled substances. The Pattern Analysis Tracking Robberies and Other Losses system is designed to collect, collate, analyze and disseminate pharmacy theft intelligence to law enforcement throughout the nation, according to http://www.rxpatrol.com/aboutrxpatrol.aspx.

The company also analyzes products seized by law enforcement to find out if they are authentic or if its chemical fingerprint resembles samples submitted by other law enforcement agencies. This can help police track down and prosecute drug counterfeiters and those who divert prescription drugs from where they are supposed to go.

People generally dont think about health care professionals involved in criminal activity but nurses and doctors do participate in diversion, the Warminster police chief said. Diversion and abuse can happen anywhere, whether its a hospital or somebodys home.

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Pharmaceutical company helping in fight against prescription drug abuse