The Associated Press reported Dec. 12 that an 87-year-old woman was recently arrested and imprisoned for reselling her prescription drugs for cash.

"When a person is on Social Security, drawing $500 a month, and they can sell their pain pills for $10 apiece, they'll take half of them for themselves and sell the other half to pay their electric bills or buy groceries," said Floyd County jailer Roger Webb. "It used to be a rare occasion to have an elderly inmate. Five years ago it was a rarity."

Experts say the problem may not be limited to Kentucky. "We haven't heard a lot about senior citizens being a source of those drugs," said Erin Artigiani of the University of Maryland Center for Substance Abuse Research. "We know college students do this. It's not much of a stretch to think that seniors could do it, too."

Physician Anita Cornett has heard from formerly addicted patients that they got their drugs from elderly neighbors; now, she randomly drug-tests her patients to make sure they are taking -- not selling -- their medications. Patients also are asked to bring in their prescription bottles so that pills can be counted.

COMMENTS ON THIS ARTICLE:

Posted by Sue Strom on 11 Mar 08 06:46 PM EDT

This is not surprising to me but I feel it is disgraceful for someone to have worked hard throughout their career and then wind up on or below poverty level in retirement and feel this is their only alternative.

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