It looks the DEA might think so.
Robert L. Corso, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Division, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) announced yesterday the immediate suspension of the federal controlled substance registration of Keysource Medical, a wholesale supplier of pharmaceuticals.
According to the DEA news release -
“Pharmaceutical companies have a responsibility to ensure that the drugs they sell don’t end up in the hands of drug traffickers or businesses that are conducting their business illegally,” said Corso. “Prescription drug abuse in Florida, southern Ohio and northern Kentucky has risen to epidemic proportions, and Keysource Medical, should have known based on the large, frequent quantities, that their customers were diverting oxycodone into arenas that were not legitimate. This action is another reminder that the DEA is working hard to hold accountable those companies who choose to operate outside the law. [my bold]
I don't know the whole story behind this suspension, but I would think that the normal daily business activities of being a wholesaler, such as following legal protocol, verifying pharmacy licensure, accurate record keeping, and maintaining inventory control would be appropriate.
Why should a wholesaler be expected to investigate when one pharmacy happens to order more narcotics than another pharmacy? Why is it up to them to verify the legitimacy of their customer's orders? It seems to me that's too difficult a requirement, and that the DEA is expecting too much from pharmacy wholesalers.
Suspicion of diversion doesn't equal knowledge. There are actual patients with legitimate pain issues, and there will always be a pharmacy at the top of the quantity-ordered list.
The DEA has copies of the same records and it should be their responsibility to investigate if they think a pharmacy is diverting narcotics. It's the DEA's job to determine possible criminal activity. They have the authority, tools, training, and funding to investigate each pharmacy to "knowingly" find out if they're diverting or not.
Just like a pharmacist shouldn't be held liable for a patient's abuse of his or her medications, I think a wholesaler shouldn't be held liable for the criminal actions of one or more of their customers. It's slippery slope my friends.
I'm all for putting a stop to the increasing abuse of prescription narcotics and for holding the criminals accountable. But it's also very important to ensure that the innocent aren't punished for performing their roles in providing appropriate health care. What do you think?
