Supply of illegal pills is unique
The source of supply for diverted prescription pills in Tennessee is very different from most other abused or illegal drugs. While most illegal drugs are imported by a drug trafficking organization or gangs, pills are usually legally delivered to a nearby pharmacy. In addition, it is much less likely that large quantities of pills are controlled and distributed by any single person or organization.
More commonly, pills are sold out of the dealer’s own prescription bottle that was purchased for them or a family member at a pharmacy with a doctor’s prescription.
Tennessee is one of the leading states for the number of pain pills prescribed per person.
Because of the legal nature of prescription pills and their legal distribution channels through pharmacies, they are hard to stop from reaching our streets.
I and thirteen other Tennessee DA’s filed suit against some of the pill manufacturers to try to stop the type of distribution that was resulting in an oversupply of prescription pills. Several of these manufacturers are now bankrupt as a result of this and other lawsuits. Prescription pills have become harder to obtain on the street.
Many different types of prescription pills are diverted from proper medicinal uses to illegal use.
However, the most common pills illegally sold in Anderson County are opioid containing pain pills like roxycodone and a sedative called alprazolam or Xanax.
Pills are more expensive than many other common illegal drugs. Addicts typically buy just one or two pills at a time.
A roxycodone tablet is commonly found in 30 mg doses sells on the street for about $30 - 40 per pill. Because of this, pill addicts quickly go through their money and typically begin stealing from friends, neighbors and family to support their addiction.
Eventually, desperate pill addicts begin to feed their addiction with chemically similar heroin, because heroin is a much cheaper alternative.
We will be doing a series on heroin in coming weeks. But there is a strong relationship between pill addiction and ultimate transition to injected heroin.
Dave Clark is the district attorney general of the 7th District of Tennessee – serving Anderson County.