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[A Survey of Illegal Medication Trading through Twitter in Japan]. | LitMetric

[A Survey of Illegal Medication Trading through Twitter in Japan].

Yakugaku Zasshi

Department of Health Economics and Outcomes Research, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo.

Published: August 2022

AI Article Synopsis

  • * A study investigated illicit drug trading on Twitter in Japan using the term "Okusuri Mogu Mogu," finding that 64.7% of posts referenced specific medications, with a significant number related to buying or selling drugs.
  • * Most traded medications were nervous system drugs, particularly hypnotics and sedatives, indicating a need for supportive approaches alongside enforcement to improve access to proper psychiatric care for individuals in need.

Article Abstract

Non-medical use of prescription medications is a serious public health crisis. The black market for prescription medications should be routinely surveyed to encourage their appropriate use. Herein, we focused on Twitter to investigate the possibility of illicit drug trading in Japan. From March 1 to 8, 2021, we examined the characteristics of Twitter posts, identified using the search term "Okusuri Mogu Mogu", a Japanese argot used for trading of medications. The captured data included the date of the posts, whether with a hashtag was used, an indication of the trades type (buy, sell, self-administration, and unknown), and the name of the mentioned pharmaceutical products. The number of named medications in the posts was counted and further categorized according to the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classification. Two hundred and thirty-eight posts were identified with the searching term "Okusuri Mogu Mogu", of which 154 (64.7%) named specific medications. Of note, 73 posts (30.7%) were associated with buying or selling medications. We examined the 73 posts. These posts included 118 medications (26 types), of which 107 (88.4%) were classified as nervous system drugs. Hypnotics and sedatives were the most frequently mentioned medications. The present study sheds light on pharmaceutical medication trading via Twitter. Reinforcing the surveillance practices or cracking down on traders by authorities may be insufficient. We consider the possible effectiveness of socially supportive approaches to help those who lack support to access the appropriate psychiatric care.

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Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1248/yakushi.22-00048DOI Listing

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