DEA addresses medical professionals about drug diversion

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – A Drug Enforcement Administration official visited Bowling Green Wednesday to talk to health professionals about prescription drug diversion.

The illicit selling and use of prescribed controlled substances is a growing problem both nationally and here in the southern Kentucky region.

Doctors, veterinarians, dentists and other medical professionals heard from Martin Redd, manager of the DEA’s Diversion Program in Kentucky.

“This dates back to a long time ago 1994, 1995 and 1996, when doctors were encouraged to do whatever they need to do to give patients pain medication. Now there’s a different tick in the world,”  Redd said.

Drug diversion commonly happens when a person transfers drugs prescribed to them to someone else for illicit use.

“These patients come in and know exactly what to say to the doctor of what illness they have to get a certain controlled substance,” said Redd.

Healthcare professionals are taught to look for specific signs and red flags when it comes to spotting prescription drug diversion.

“People who are diverting drugs for sale will often use other people; their wife, friends, neighbor, sister will go in with complaints of pain to get pain medication and then divert those,” said Van Ingram, executive director at the Office of Drug Control Policy at the Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet.

The Kentucky All Schedule Prescription Electronic Reporting allows medical practitioners to monitor controlled substances prescribed to patients. Law enforcement also have access to the database to watch for the prescribing habits of medical professionals. Ingram said it’s going to take everyone to help police the issue.

“We really have to depend on prescribers to do their do diligence to not accept a person’s word that they’re in chronic pain. Something’s causing that pain, we need to investigate that,” Ingram said.

The DEA’s Diversion Control Division also offers Drug Take Back, a program that allows people to safely dispose of prescription drugs.