Profession
DEA creates hotline to report suspected drug diversion
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Jan. 24, 2005
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has created a toll-free hotline, 1-877-RxAbuse, for people to call in anonymous tips about suspected diversion of prescription drugs by individuals or Internet pharmacies.
A DEA press release stated that prescription drug abuse -- particularly painkillers and performance-enhancing steroids -- has become an "increasingly widespread problem in the United States, leading to dangerous abuse, addiction and sometimes fatalities."
In the release, DEA Administrator Karen P. Tandy stated that information from the hotline "will greatly assist us in bringing drug dealers to justice and preventing the tragedies that come from prescription drug abuse."
DEA spokeswoman Rogene Waite said the agency's Prescription Drug Abuse Call Center began operating on Dec. 13, 2004, and that, as of Dec. 31, it had received 82 calls.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2005/01/24/prbf0124.htm.
