On a gram-for-gram basis, many drugs are now more expensive than gold. That fact is not lost on the criminals among us, as reflected in a pharmacist.com news story detailing several recent heists of medications and nutritional products. But remember one thing: These thieves wouldn't have risked doing this if there weren't a brisk black market in the United States for the sale of diverted or stolen pharmaceuticals.

I believe pharmacists in this country take supply-chain integrity for granted. I say this with the perspective of someone who spent almost 8 years doing supply-chain audits and chasing diverted drugs all over the world. My opinion doesn't come just from my own experiences (which focused largely on the mainstream distribution system in the United States, where major improvements in security have occurred) but also from conversations and meetings with many industry security professionals who are faced with protecting their companies' products. These folks are challenged every day in this country and around the world.

These recent high-profile thefts should serve as a reminder to all pharmacists to pay attention to where you purchase your pharmaceuticals. Know your distributor and ask questions about their practices. Do not respond to faxes offering deals you know are too good to be true. These thieves will find someone to buy their take—make sure it isn't one of your patients who ends up with these diverted drugs! If you are not careful, this could happen to you.

In addition, be sure to warn your patients about the dangers of buying drugs from the Internet. Most diverted drugs will find their way to consumers through this channel. The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy tries to warn Internet consumers they should use only known sites that are verified through NABP's VIPPS program. But with all the noise consumers hear, it is a difficult message to convey. Be sure your patients hear it!