Objective
Prescription drug diversion,
the transfer of prescription drugs from lawful to unlawful channels for
distribution or use, is a problem in the United States. Despite the
pervasiveness of diversion, there are gaps in the literature regarding
characteristics of individuals who participate in the illicit trade of
prescription drugs. This study examines a range of predictors (e.g.,
demographics, prescription insurance coverage, perceived risk associated with
prescription drug diversion) of membership in three distinct diverter groups:
individuals who illicitly acquire prescription drugs, those who redistribute
them, and those who engage in both behaviors.
Methods
Data were drawn from a
cross-sectional Internet study (N = 846) of prescription drug use and
diversion patterns in New York City, South Florida, and Washington, D.C..
Participants were classified into diversion categories based on their
self-reported involvement in the trade of prescription drugs. Group differences
in background characteristics of diverter groups were assessed by Chi-Square
tests and followed up with multivariate logistic regressions.
Results
While individuals in all
diversion groups were more likely to be younger and have a licit prescription
for any of the assessed drugs in the past year than those who did not divert,
individuals who both acquire and redistribute are more likely to live in New
York City, not have prescription insurance coverage, and perceive fewer legal
risks of prescription drug diversion.
Conclusion
Findings suggest that
predictive characteristics vary according to diverter group.
...3.2. Illicit Acquirer
Table 2 shows results
from three separate regression analyses (one for each diversion classification
group). For the acquirer group, age was negatively associated with illicit
acquisition (β = −0.02, OR = 0.98, p <
0.05). Also, having a history of having a licit prescription for any class of
drug assessed in this study was positively associated with illicit acquisition
(β = 1.14, OR = 3.24, p < 0.001).
Area of residence, race, gender, education, being a student, income,
prescription insurance coverage, perceived legal risk of prescription
diversion, and perceptions of legal risk of illicit drug diversion were not
associated with membership in the illicit acquirer group.
3.3. Illicit Redistributor
For the redistributor group, regression analyses demonstrated that
age was negatively associated with illicit redistribution (β =
−0.04, OR = 0.97, p < 0.01). As with
illicit acquisition, a history of having a licit prescription for any class of
drug assessed in this study was positively associated with illicit
redistribution (β= 0.89, OR = 2.44, p <
0.05). Additionally, perceived legal risks of prescription diversion was
negatively associated with redistribution (β = −0.87, OR =
0.42, p < 0.01). Area of residence, race, gender,
education, being a student, income, insurance coverage, and perceptions of
legal risk of illicit drug diversion were not associated with membership in the
illicit redistributor group.
3.4. Illicit Acquirer/Redistributor
Regression analyses demonstrated several main effects for
individuals involved in both illicit acquisition and redistribution. As with
the illicit acquisition and redistribution groups, age was negatively
associated with both illicit behaviors (i.e., acquisition and redistribution) (β =
− 0.05, OR = 0 .95, p < 0.001) and a
history of having a licit prescription for any class of drug assessed in this
study was positively associated with both illicit behaviors (β =
1.86, OR = 6.44, p < 0.001). However,
there were some differences with the combined group. First, compared to
participants in New York City (referent), participants in South Florida were
less likely to participate in both illicit acquisition and redistribution of
prescription drugs (β = − 0.91, OR = 0.40,p <
0.05). Second, perceived legal risks of prescription drug diversion was
negatively associated with being in the combined illicit acquisition and
redistribution group (β = − 0.71, OR = 0.49, p <
0.05). In fact, those who engaged in both illicit acquisition and
redistribution had the lowest perception of legal risk associated with
prescription and illegal drug diversion of all the groups assessed (see Table 1). Finally,
participants who had insurance with prescription drug coverage were less likely
to engage in both acquisition and redistribution than those without such coverage
(β = − 0.97, OR = 0.38, p <
0.05). Race, gender, education, being a student, income, and perceptions of
legal risk of illicit drug diversion were not associated with membership in the
illicit acquirer/redistributor group...
Full article at: http://goo.gl/95fBBe
By:
1Department of Anthropology, University of
Central Florida, 4000 Central Florida Boulevard, Howard Phillips Hall 309,
Orlando, FL 32816-1361, USA
2Psychology Department, Queens College,
City University of New York, 6530 Kissena Boulevard, SB A344, Queens, NY 11367-1597,
USA
3Social Science Department, LaGuardia
Community College, City University of New York, 31-10 Thomson Avenue, Long
Island City, NY 11101, USA
4School of Social Work, Rutgers University,
536 George Street, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
5National Development and Research
Institutes, 71 West 23rd Street, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10010, USA
6Department of Social Work, Binghamton
University, P.O. Box 6000, Binghamton, NY 13902-6000
7Science Department, Berkeley College, 3
East 43 Street New York, NY 10017, USA
8Graduate School of Education, University
of Pennsylvania, 3700 Walnut Street Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
9Sociology and Criminology Department,
Cabrini College, 610 King of Prussia Road, Radnor, PA 19087-3698, USA
10Department of Pediatrics, Harlem Hospital
Center, 506 Malcolm X Boulevard, New York, NY 10037, USA
11Public Health Solutions, 40 Worth Street,
5th Floor, New York, NY 10013, USA
*Correspondence: Email: ude.fcu@sirrah.anahs;
Tel: 407-823-2227
More at: https://twitter.com/hiv_insight
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