Illicit prescription drug use among pharmacists: Evidence of a paradox of familiarity

On average, pharmacists spend six years in college studying the intricacies of prescription medi-cines and their effects on the human body. Upon graduation, they embark on a career where their expertise and familiarity with the proper use and dangers of prescription drugs continuously grows. Despite this wealth of experience, some pharmacists become prescription drug abusers. The present analysis uses interview data obtained from 50 recovering drug dependent pharma-cists to understand the process by which these professionals come to abuse the tools of their trade. Ironically, the data show several ways in which the individuals’knowledge and expertise may actually contribute to progressive prescription drug abuse. The authors argue that being and becoming a pharmacist presents a paradox of familiarity wherein technical knowledge and opportunity, in the absence of proper appreciation of the risks of substance abuse, can delude pharmacists into believing that they are immune to prescription drug abuse