Drug fraud is a type of fraud in which drugs, legal or illegal, are cut

Cutting agent

A cutting agent is a chemical used to "cut" illicit drugs with something less expensive than the drug itself.-Overview:The classical model of drug cutting A cutting agent is a chemical used to "cut" (dilute) illicit drugs with something less expensive than the drug itself.-Overview:The classical...

 or altered in such a way that diminishes their value below that which they are sold for.

Illegal drug fraud

This type of drug fraud occurs then the seller cuts or commingles the pure drug with a similar substance such as baby powder

Baby powder

Baby powder is an astringent powder used for preventing diaper rash, as a deodorant, and for other cosmetic uses. It may be composed of talc or corn starch. Talcum powder is harmful if inhaled since it may cause aspiration pneumonia or granuloma. Drugs such as cocaine are sometimes cut with...

 or powdered milk

Powdered milk

Powdered milk is a manufactured dairy product made by evaporating milk to dryness. One purpose of drying milk is to preserve it; milk powder has a far longer shelf life than liquid milk and does not need to be refrigerated, due to its low moisture content. Another purpose is to reduce its bulk for...

. When this is sold to the user, the user receives less of a high and so must buy more to get the previous high. There may also be adverse health consequences as a result of the cutting substance, such as a bad trip

Bad trip

Bad trip is a disturbing experience sometimes associated with use of a psychedelic drug such as LSD, Salvinorin A, DXM, mescaline, psilocybin, DMT and sometimes even other drugs including cannabis, alcohol and MDMA....

 or overdose

Drug overdose

The term drug overdose describes the ingestion or application of a drug or other substance in quantities greater than are recommended or generally practiced...

. This can also be seen in prescription drug

Prescription drug

A prescription medication is a licensed medicine that is regulated by legislation to require a medical prescription before it can be obtained. The term is used to distinguish it from over-the-counter drugs which can be obtained without a prescription...

s.

Legal drug fraud

Legal drug fraud occurs when a physician prescribes medication for a patient under false pretenses. This may be because the manufacturers of the drug have paid the doctor a fee to dispense their drug. Another cause may be drug pricing fraud, in which a physician prescribes a patient expensive drugs, that they may or may not need, in order to profit from the receipts.

Patients too, may participate in this. A common method is the forging of doctor prescriptions to gain access to prescription medication

Prescription drug

A prescription medication is a licensed medicine that is regulated by legislation to require a medical prescription before it can be obtained. The term is used to distinguish it from over-the-counter drugs which can be obtained without a prescription...

s. A somewhat rarer type is a citizen posing as a doctor to, among other things, gain access to the free sample

Free sample

A product sample is a sample of a consumer product that is given to the consumer so that he or she may try a product before committing to a purchase.-Free samples:...

s of drugs that some drug manufacturers give out. The samples may also be sold to desperate patients at an exorbitant rate. Actual physicians may do this also. Others may prescribe drugs without sufficient cause.

Legal status

Illegal drug fraud is rarely addressed in court, as victims rarely involve police, but legal drug fraud is on the rise. Its upswing has increased calls for accountability

Accountability

Accountability is a concept in ethics and governance with several meanings. It is often used synonymously with such concepts as responsibility, answerability, blameworthiness, liability, and other terms associated with the expectation of account-giving...

 as well as a bill

Bill (proposed law)

A bill is a proposed law under consideration by a legislature. A bill does not become law until it is passed by the legislature and, in most cases, approved by the executive. Once a bill has been enacted into law, it is called an act or a statute....

 being passed, 2007 Senate Bill 88.

See also

• Quackery
  Quackery
  Quackery is a derogatory term used to describe the promotion of unproven or fraudulent medical practices. Random House Dictionary describes a "quack" as a "fraudulent or ignorant pretender to medical skill" or "a person who pretends, professionally or publicly, to have skill, knowledge, or...
  
  
• Double billing
  Double billing
  -Commerce:In commerce, double billing is the error of charging a customer twice for the same unique product. This can occur due to a change in product name or due to a software error.-Law:...
  
  
• Punching (drugs)
• Counterfeit medications
  Counterfeit medications
  A counterfeit medication or a counterfeit drug is a medication or pharmaceutical product which is produced and sold with the intent to deceptively represent its origin, authenticity or effectiveness...
  
  
• Pharmaceutical fraud
  Pharmaceutical fraud
  Pharmaceutical Fraud is activities that result in false claims to insurers or programs such as Medicare in the United States or equivalent state programs for financial gain to a pharmaceutical company. The manner in which this is done varies, and persons engaging in fraud are always seeking new...