title: [Control measures for anabolic androgenic steroid medicines].
abstract: Anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) can cause serious adverse effects when used without a therapeutic purpose. This article aims to show that the AAS are susceptible to being sold on the black market. We also aim to describe how certain limitations on the health inspection services of the Galician health service to pursue these illegal actions prompted a regulatory initiative demanding that additional actions be granted to community pharmacies when dispensing AAS. Four pharmacy inspections detected the diversion of a total of 3118 packages of AAS, which led to the opening of four disciplinary proceedings. In two of these, specialized police forces were called in as there was sufficient evidence of possible diversion to gymnasiums, resulting in a police operation called Operation Fitness.
authors.affiliation: Gerencia de Gestión Integrada, Servizo Galego de Saúde, Xunta de Galicia, Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña, España. Electronic address: raquel.vazquez.mourelle@sergas.es.
authors.forename: Raquel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vázquez-Mourelle
authors.affiliation: Gerencia de Gestión Integrada, Servizo Galego de Saúde, Xunta de Galicia, Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña, España.
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Carracedo-Martínez
authors.affiliation: Subdirección General de Inspección, Auditoría y Acreditación de Servicios Sanitarios, Consellería de Sanidade, Xunta de Galicia, Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña, España.
authors.forename: Eugenio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ces Gens
authors.affiliation: Jefatura Territorial Sanidade, Servicio de Inspección de Servicios Sanitarios, Pontevedra, España.
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cadórniga Valiño
authors.affiliation: Jefatura Territorial Sanidade, Servicio de Inspección de Servicios Sanitarios, A Coruña, España.
authors.forename: Pilar
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Álvaro Esteban
authors.affiliation: Subdirección General de Inspección, Auditoría y Acreditación de Servicios Sanitarios, Consellería de Sanidade, Xunta de Galicia, Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña, España.
authors.forename: José Manuel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Pose Reino
mesh_terms: D000728:Androgens / Q000009:adverse effects; D004300:Doping in Sports / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000517:prevention & control*; D064423:Drug Trafficking / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004335:Drug and Narcotic Control / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D035846:Law Enforcement / Q000379:methods; D010594:Pharmacies / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D016495:Police; D013030:Spain; D045165:Testosterone Congeners / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D000728:Androgens; D045165:Testosterone Congeners
keywords: Anabolic agents; Anabolizantes; Androgenic agents; Andrógenos; Athletic performance; Desvío de medicamentos sujetos a prescripción; Drug legislation; Legislación de medicamentos; Prescription drug diversion; Public health; Rendimiento atlético; Salud pública