The Diversion Control System is a division of the Drug Enforcement Administration that has in recent years become an extremely important factor in attempts for drug enforcement, specifically in terms of controlling and regulating controlled substances, particularly pharmaceutical drugs.
With the exception of marijuana or cannabis, all other drugs are produced or manufactured regardless if they are legal pharmaceuticals or illicit drugs like cocaine and heroin.
Ultimately, the Diversion Control System is charged with the drug enforcement responsibility of finding methods and ways to control the use and abuse of controlled pharmaceuticals and substances, including prescription drugs, which are often used in ways other than those intended by the manufacturer or as allowed by law. The Diversion Control System has confronted its drug enforcement problem by instituting two distinct problem areas, which they have labeled as the Diversion of Controlled Pharmaceuticals and the Diversion of Controlled Chemicals.
The Diversion Control System has its roots since the authorization of the Controlled Substances Act in 1970. Originally, the regulation of controlled substances and pharmaceuticals, including prescription drugs, as well as drug enforcement, was the responsibility of the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs (BNDD) before the organization was consolidated with other Government agencies to form a single faction to control and regulate controlled substances and enforce drug laws, now known as the Drug Enforcement Administration, or DEA.
There has been a notable trend in the rise of pharmaceutical and prescription drugs use ever since the Controlled Substances Act was instituted, as well as advances in science and technology, which have allowed for more medications to be created and developed. The Food and Drug Administration approved over 15,000 controlled pharmaceuticals in 2002, compared to just over 2,000 in 1973.
Furthermore, the amount people are spending has also increased from $5.5 billion dollars in 1970, to over $99 billion dollars by the end of 1999. The amount individuals are spending on pharmaceuticals is partly due to the rising costs of medications and treatments, but it also infers that people are depending more on pharmaceuticals, and rising trends may point to abuse or diversion of use of such controlled substances.
Currently, the DEA has reported that the abuse and illicit use of controlled pharmaceuticals has accounted for over 30 percent of all deaths and injuries regarding drug abuse. The DEA also reported that the most commonly abused pharmaceuticals or legal controlled substances are stimulants, depressants, anabolic steroids, and narcotics, as defined by the DEA, some of which are prescription drugs.
The Diversion of Controlled Pharmaceuticals directly relates to the diversion drug enforcement and illegal use of legally manufactured and distributed substances such as narcotics, depressants, and stimulants. Their potential for abuse has been rated as highly possible, and therefore, have been included as controlled substances under the Controlled Substances Act, or CSA.
The main problem the DEA faces is having these controlled substances under regulation and restrictions, while also making them readily available to the individuals that have medical reasons for use. Any person or company that deals with any of the substances or prescription drugs under Drug Enforcement Agency control must be registered with the Agency and comply with their controlled substances policies and regulations. Examples of certain cases of diversion of controlled pharmaceuticals include:
*Physicians illegally selling pharmaceuticals to drug dealers and/or abusers;
*Falsification of records for purpose of illicit selling of prescriptions;
*Theft by employees;
*Forgery of prescriptions;
*Formation of rogue or underground pharmacies for illegal sale of substances over mail or internet;
*Armed robbery of pharmacies.
The Diversion of Controlled Chemicals mostly deals with all other substances that are not readily available or distributed as pharmaceuticals or prescription drugs, yet under CSA classifications some still prove to have medical use or treatments. One of the main problems regarding these types of substances is that many of them must be chemically treated or altered to produce or manufacture their illicit forms.
For example, heroin is produced through the use of certain chemical compounds or agents to be manufactured from its original source, opium. Other drugs, such as PCP, methamphetamine, and MDMA, are purely chemical substances manufactured from other chemicals. Many of these can be produced using common household chemicals and available prescription drugs.
This has proven to be a problem until recent years because many of the chemicals used to produce the illicit substances such as methamphetamine, were not controlled under CSA standards. It was not until 1988 that the Chemical Diversion and Trafficking Act that imposed certain restrictions and regulations regarding the availability of certain chemicals that can be used as precursors to manufacture illegal drugs.
The Diversion Control System has its own division under the Drug Enforcement Agency, known as the Office of Diversion Control. It is part of the Operations Division and is separated into Field sub-offices and Tactical Diversion Squads, which operate under supervision of DEA Special Agents. This Division consists of personnel that includes chemists, pharmacologists, program analysts, and special DEA personnel known as Diversion Investigators. Diversion Investigators have responsibilities that include:
*Review and approval of applications of registrants with DEA;
*Background reviews of all applicants, including company employees;
*Inspection of applicant security measures to protect the controlled substances from theft;
*Investigations involving all aspects of diversion control crimes and violations.
As a whole, the Diversion Control System and its affiliated personnel have the basic responsibilities that include: field management and coordination of investigations; composing or drafting new regulations for pharmaceuticals; establishing pharmaceutical and controlled substances quotas; proposals of national legislation; investigation of chemicals not currently under control; tracking distribution of controlled prescription drugs and chemicals; and research and intelligence.
The Diversion Control System has become an important factor to the Drug Enforcement Agency in controlling the abuse and misuse of controlled substances, particularly by addressing the growing concern and trend regarding the diversion of pharmaceuticals and prescription drugs for illicit use and traffic
