Opioids Hypothetical Feasibility of Stealthily Extracting Opioids from Whole Pills

[DsCowboy]

Hi Bluelighters!

So, I'm writing a screenplay for a heist flick about pharmacy burglars -- think "Drugstore Cowboy" meets "Thomas Crown Affair" -- and I'm curious about the general feasibility what I want to make a key plot point.

Would it be possible for a small group of guys who've busted into a pharmacy to clandestinely extract the drugs out of pills without altering their appearance -- preferably using only materials/solvents/etc that they could find in a large drugstore? If so, what would the procedure be like, and how long might it take?

What would the extracted product look like? If they dissolved it in water, would the water still be clear enough that they could fill, like, poland springs bottles/jugs of it so they could just walk in the next AM and buy the stuff? How much of it would there have to be?

Are there any stumbling blocks that I don't even know enough to ask about?

Thanks, y'all!

 

[Chris84]

You may be able to get a fraction of the opiates found in pills out without changing their appearance much, just using cold water, but it would be impossible to do it without the pharmacy knowing as they'll notice the packaging has been opened and all the pills are wet.

 

[BK Bonkey Kong]

The feasibility is essentially zero if you're talking about pills. They would look different after soaking in anything. You could maybe use cough syrup as the thing they are stealing because that at least makes sense about being able to be replaced with a fake.

 

[sekio]

its impossible

 

[DsCowboy]

Just to clarify -- they're not trying to trick the pharmacy into thinking a robbery hasn't taken place, they're trying to trick their partner outside the pharmacy who they know is going double cross them.

 

[Mr.Scagnattie]

Totally impossible. Showing that would be a real use of "artistic license"..

 

[bunge]

If they crushed the pills, extracted the opiate using cwe and then dried the resulting leftovers of pill binders, fillers and (usually) paracetamol. Plus the pharmacy would have to have an old school manuel pill press (maybe the store owners has a thing for archaic medical equipment??lol)......then maybe.....at a severe stretch of the imagination.
Also the packaging wouldnt be re-usable and i know that i wouldnt purchase any pharmaceutical drugs without the proper packaging.
The above posters idea with the syrup sounds more feasible or maybe if the opiate came in capsule form. Capsules are simple to 'break' open and empty, so id assume its simple to refill them with another white powdery substance. Talc for example, but packaging would still be an issue unless the drug comes in a big 'family size' bottle like hospitals sometimes use.
Its an interesting idea though and i enjoyed pondering it!lol

 

[bingey]

If it wasn't for the seals and tamper proof packaging one could imagine a very elaborate scheme were they would basically steal the pills and replace them with forgeries.
I should work in Hollywood really , or perform elaborate pharmacy heists %)

 

[down508]

dude heres what you should do, because thats not possible or plausable. first off this isn't harm reduction. you could have made a better back story for thread longevity, but at least you were honest.

the heist guys have a connect who is responsible for pressing many of the big mdma pills on the east coast (or west). they give him the specs of the pills they are gunning for and a couple samples and he designs a pill press based on them. they order up a couple thousand fake pills and he fronts them to them on the promise that they will give him 20% of the real pills for his help. this can also create drama later on if say they lose the pills and he comes after them. either way they break in and switch the reals with the fakes and leave, hundreds of chronic pain patients get fake pills and no body believes them so some of them end up committing suicide in pain and withdrawl. so maybe if you want these robbers to be the protagonists you should make them more lovable and have them do it the old fashion way, busting in in the morning with rifles and robbing the pharmacists outright.

or do you know a pharmacist who is trying to figure out how to rip off the pharmacy without being noticed?

 

[bingey]

dude heres what you should do, because thats not possible or plausable. first off this isn't harm reduction. you could have made a better back story for thread longevity, but at least you were honest.

the heist guys have a connect who is responsible for pressing many of the big mdma pills on the east coast (or west). they give him the specs of the pills they are gunning for and a couple samples and he designs a pill press based on them. they order up a couple thousand fake pills and he fronts them to them on the promise that they will give him 20% of the real pills for his help. this can also create drama later on if say they lose the pills and he comes after them. either way they break in and switch the reals with the fakes and leave, hundreds of chronic pain patients get fake pills and no body believes them so some of them end up committing suicide in pain and withdrawl. so maybe if you want these robbers to be the protagonists you should make them more lovable and have them do it the old fashion way, busting in in the morning with rifles and robbing the pharmacists outright.

or do you know a pharmacist who is trying to figure out how to rip off the pharmacy without being noticed?

^
I'm going to sue you and the people who make an actual movie out of it for "elaborating " (artist/hollywood slang for stealing) my idea.