Modern View on Potentials of Forensic Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Expertise

Abstract

The great number of drugs and their variety have increased the potential of therapy but increased the risks of crimes related to the production, sale, and use of medicines. The prosecution of such crimes requires pharmaceutical or pharmacological expertise. The development of forensic pharmacy and forensic pharmacology is relevant and needs consideration of their modern capabilities. The purpose of the work is to analyze literature data on the scientific basis of forensic pharmaceutical and pharmacological expertise and their modern possibilities. The texts of articles, book chapters, and websites were studied using keywords relevant to the purpose of the review. It is shown, that modern forensic pharmaceutical expertise is a separate type of expertise that focuses on the study of drugs and documents that regulate the production, distribution, and quality of medicines. It uses the latest analytical methods of pharmacy. A pharmacologist analyzes body fluids and tissues and interprets the resulting data to help courts and investigators assess the role of a drug in the person’s behavior, illness, injury, or death. The range of issues included in the pharmacological examination is fully within the competence of the forensic medical examination, which can be appointed in civil cases or criminal proceedings connected with harm to health or death. Forensic pharmacology is not the same as forensic toxicology or pharmacovigilance and requires a separate approach based on purely pharmacological knowledge.