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March 4, 2004
 Prescription Drugs:
State Monitoring Programs May Help to Reduce Illegal Diversion
The increasing
diversion of prescription drugs for illegal purposes or abuse is a
disturbing trend in the nation's battle against drug abuse.
Diversion can include such activities as prescription forgery and
"doctor shopping" by individuals who visit numerous
physicians to obtain multiple prescriptions. GAO found that the 15
state monitoring programs in place in 2002 differed in their
objectives and operation. The programs were intended to facilitate
the collection, analysis, and reporting of information about the
prescribing, dispensing, and use of controlled substances. GAO
also found that state monitoring programs may have realized
benefits in their efforts to reduce drug diversion. These included
improving the timeliness of law enforcement and regulatory
investigations. This was GAO congressional testimony before the
Subcommittee on Health, Committee on Energy and Commerce, House of
Representatives.
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