Hackers and fraudsters are gaining access to sensitive drug ordering tools and then advertising some of the most tightly controlled drugs in the country, including fentanyl.

Hackers and fraudsters are gaining access to sensitive drug ordering tools and then advertising some of the most tightly controlled drugs in the country, including fentanyl.

“Tap the fuck in,” a message posted to a large crime-focused Telegram group chat in October read. The user included a photo of a Macbook Pro in a darkened room with a hand hovering above the keyboard. On the screen were blue and white boxes; a dashboard used by doctors and other medical industry professionals to order prescriptions. The panel displayed various pieces of information, such as the prescribing physician, the patient’s required dose, and the patient’s name.

In the middle of the screen read the text “oxyCODONE (oxyCODONE 5 mg oral tablet).”

404 Media has uncovered a wide-spanning scheme in which criminals break into various panels used by doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and even wholesale narcotics providers, and then leverage that access to order controlled substances like oxycodone. Some of the hackers then appear to sell these substances for profit online. Because the hackers are using legitimate ordering tools designed for industry professionals, when a prescription request lands at a pharmacy, it can look as legitimate as any other.

    • ShunkW@lemmy.worldEnglish
      20·
      9 months ago

      Pharmacists cannot order drugs for a patient. A doctor (and certain other medical professionals) must prescribe the drug first, and the pharmacy fulfills the order.

      The system breached is used by doctors to send the orders to the pharmacy.

    • Contextual Idiot@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      111·
      9 months ago

      I think it’s the description that’s confusing. These hackers are getting in and writing their own prescriptions from the way it sounds. They then fill these prescriptions at regular pharmacies, or sell the prescriptions for a buyer to then get filled.

      Can’t read the whole article though without signing up, so maybe it’s something different.

    • DoctorWhookah@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      5·
      9 months ago

      Pain clinics hire doctors. These doctors order drugs. Some of these clinics are legit, and some are pill mills working with organized crime.

            • ShunkW@lemmy.worldEnglish
              14·
              9 months ago

              You’re not understanding, or you’re arguing in bad faith. This is the system that doctors use to send prescriptions electronically to pharmacists so that the patient can pick up the medication.

                • its_the_new_style@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
                  5·
                  9 months ago

                  Article said they were phishing (or otherwise) to get enough info from the Dr to create their own ePrescribing accounts. Then they are effectively writing prescriptions as though they are a doctor and getting them filled at local pharmacies. Just a much more sophisticated version of stealing the prescription pad and forging a signature.

            • WhiteOakBayou@lemmy.worldEnglish
              8·
              9 months ago

              I think you’re misunderstanding the word “order.” They mean order like “Dr’s Orders” not like the Dr is generating requests to the drug warehouse.

            • gallopingsnail@lemmy.sdf.orgEnglish
              3·
              9 months ago

              They’re using “order” as a command, not physically buying medication. Outpatient pharmacies receive the physician’s order as a prescription, but in hospitals and clinics they’re just referred to as “orders” and could include everything from medications to diet, scheduled treatments, physical activity, etc.

              • cheese_greater@lemmy.worldEnglish
                11·
                9 months ago

                Ah k, lol I should know that after all the House MD i’ve watched :/ like when House orders their finest amphetamine salts for Wilson 😋