Agencies from across the region are joining together to combat the problem of prescription drug abuse in our community. Because pharmacists are essentially the "last set of eyes" when it comes to stopping fraudulent prescriptions, local law enforcement is teaching them ways to prevent people from trying to abuse the system.
Deputy Josh Chaney, with the Carson City Sheriff's Office said, "We're seeing more and more prescription drug DUI's, more cases that are involving death, more leading to heroin use. So we're educating the pharmacy's that might not necessarily get the same training that we do."
Officials say the most common way people gain access to narcotics or controlled substances is through the use of legitimate prescriptions released by the last line of defense, a pharmacist.
"They're filling so many prescriptions, they're not slowing down to go, is that a 30 or an 80? We're just asking them, this is the stuff we're seeing, this is the stuff we're investigating. Maybe they can look for those tell-tale signs also," adds Sgt. Daniel Gonzales, with the Carson City Sheriff's Office.
Doctor shopping is one of the signs to look out for when a person uses one or more doctors to get their medications filled out. Police also said addicts will file a report for stolen or lost medication in different jurisdictions so pharmacy's don't find records. And even some doctors prescribe pain meds that aren't necessary required.
But these aren't the only things pharmacy employees have to be prepared for.
Larry Pinson, with the Nevada State Board of Pharmacy said, "People who need these drugs and can't get them through doctor shopping and other avenues, and maybe have a hard time getting heroin, they're going to the pharmacy's next and so you're worried about robbery."
The pharmacists and pharmacy technicians who attended the meeting Thursday night learned ways to deal with these type of situations. Overall they hope to make the community safer by keeping drugs out of the wrong hands.
