NEW FRONT DEVELOPS IN DRUG WARS

MOREHEAD CITY - It wasn't cocaine, marijuana or any of the traditional
street drugs that Newport police seized during one of its latest drug busts.

The suspect in this case stood outside a local grocery store doling out
small pills to those ready to buy. The prescription medication was on the
streets and being used in ways never intended.

It's a type of drug abuse that Newport Police Chief Jeff Clark is seeing
far too often.

"We know it's going on because we see it every day," Clark said. "Newport
police, in the last two years, have taken close to 400 pills off the street."

Carteret County Sheriff's Department Chief Detective Frank Galizia
estimates that illegal prescription drug use is now as prevalent in the
county as the street drugs.

"The traditional drugs are still there, but there is this additional
epidemic of abuse of prescription drugs," he said.

The illegally obtained and sold prescription pills are commonly seized in
drug busts. And since January 2000, there have been 54 prescription
drug-related deaths in Carteret County, Galizia said.

"Not all cases were a result of criminal activity, but there is a marked
increase in this type of drug-related death," he said.

In three of the cases, criminal charges were filed against those who
provided the drug that resulted in death.

Clark's concern about the abuse of prescription drugs prompted his
discussions with others about the need for more training and education for
officers. Those discussions quickly grew into the organization of a seminar
with a broader focus.

Approximately 100 members of the law enforcement, medical and legal
communities came together Wednesday at Carteret Community College to hear
guest speakers from Purdue Pharmaceutical of Stamford, Conn., which
sponsored the event. The three experts touched on drug identification,
addiction and pain management, investigating abuse, scams against doctors
and pharmacists, and lawful prescribing and diversion prevention.

For law enforcement officers, there are new drugs to know, a new medical
language to understand, and suspects are using different methods to get
their supply.

"We want officers to understand how these crimes are committed, give them
tips for investigating these crimes and tips to detect abuse," said Landon
Gibbs, a law enforcement liaison for Purdue Pharma.

One scam discussed was "doctor shopping," where people go to multiple
doctors seeking a prescription.

The scam is an example of the type of fraud seen in prescription drug
abuse. It also shows how the seminar was equally beneficial to the medical
community.

Dr. Sherry Siegel, senior medical director for Purdue Pharma, has treated
patients for chronic pain and headaches. She knows there is an appropriate
and important use for prescription medications, and she doesn't want to see
that jeopardized by those who abuse the drugs. She said doctors, nurses,
pharmacists and others in the medical community must understand the need as
well as the abuse that can take place.

As a doctor, Siegel asks herself, "Is this person coming to me because of
chronic pain or are they coming to me to get a drug to sell or use
inappropriately?"

"My job is not to put that drug in the hands of those who will abuse it and
make sure those who need it will have access to it," she said.

The dialogue between those who attended was as valuable as the information
provided during the seminar, Galizia said.

"I felt like the most important thing for us in law enforcement was being
able to talk with and network with people outside of our circle. It was an
opportunity for us to really begin talking," he said.