Illegal sale of potent substances through pharmacy chains: conflict of criminal and administrative law norms

Danil Viharev

UDC

343.2

VAK Russia

5.1.4

ILLEGAL SALE OF POTENT SUBSTANCES THROUGH PHARMACY CHAINS: CONFLICT OF CRIMINAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE LAW NORMS Illegal sale of potent substances through pharmacy chains: conflict of criminal and administrative law norms

АА Аа

Published in Vestnik of the St. Petersburg University of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia · Pages 107–116 · Rubric: CRIMINAL LAW SCIENCES

Received: 01.09.2025 Accepted: 20.03.2026 Published: 30.03.2026 Language of publication: RUS

Authors

Danil Viharev

ORCID

Danil Viharev

Nizhny Novgorod Academy of Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs

ORCID

ABSTRACT

Introduction. The relevance of the study is due to the rapid growth of organized crime in the illicit trafficking of potent substances included in medicines ("pharmacy drug addiction"). This activity poses a particular danger to public health and the economic security of the state, characterized by high latency and large incomes. The key problem for the law enforcement officer lies in the existing legislative gap: the lack of a clear criterion for distinguishing an administrative offense (over-the-counter drug release under Part 1.1 of Article 14.4.2 of the Administrative Code of the Russian Federation) and a criminal offense (illegal sale of a potent substance under Article 234 of the Criminal Code). This leads to contradictory law enforcement practices, where individuals who systematically sell drugs without a prescription are often brought only to administrative responsibility, which creates a sense of impunity. Methods. A set of methods was used in the work, including: Formal legal analysis of the norms of criminal and administrative law. Analysis of judicial and investigative practice and materials of specific criminal and administrative cases. Statistical analysis of the data of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia on the dynamics of group crime under Article 234 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. As well as the sociological method in the form of a questionnaire, since for the purposes of the study, a survey was conducted of law enforcement officials, prosecutors, lawyers, law professors and pharmacists to identify professional opinions on the qualifications of these acts. Results. The conducted research allowed us to formulate the following conclusions: The overwhelming majority of the surveyed specialists (95%), according to their internal beliefs, believe that pharmacists should be criminally responsible for the systematic over-the-counter release of potent substances. At the same time, 65% of respondents admit that the current legislation does not provide a law enforcement officer with unambiguous grounds for such qualification in a typical situation of a single violation. It has been established that the existing legal uncertainty is actively used by organized criminal groups to legalize their activities and avoid criminal prosecution. As a result, the author's opinion is substantiated and his proposal on the need to modify Article 234 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation is voiced. The author suggests adding a sign of repetition to the article by analogy with Article 151.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, which will make it possible to bring to criminal responsibility persons (including pharmacists) who commit illegal sales, having already been subjected to administrative punishment for a similar act. This measure will contribute to the effective counteraction of organized pharmacy drug crime.

KEYWORDS

illegal sale of potent drugs, pharmaceutical activity, criminal and administrative liability

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GOST

Viharev D. D. Illegal sale of potent substances through pharmacy chains: conflict of criminal and administrative law norms // . 2025. pp. 107-116. (Date of access 19.08.2026).

MLA

Danil Viharev. "Illegal sale of potent substances through pharmacy chains: conflict of criminal and administrative law norms." (2025): 107-116.

APA

Viharev D. D. (2025). Illegal sale of potent substances through pharmacy chains: conflict of criminal and administrative law norms. , 107-116.

Chicago

Danil Viharev. "Illegal sale of potent substances through pharmacy chains: conflict of criminal and administrative law norms." , no. (2025): 107-116.

WIKI

{{cite journal | author = Viharev D. D. | title = Illegal sale of potent substances through pharmacy chains: conflict of criminal and administrative law norms | journal = | year = 2025 | pages = 107-116 }}

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ILLEGAL SALE OF POTENT SUBSTANCES THROUGH PHARMACY CHAINS: CONFLICT OF CRIMINAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE LAW NORMS Illegal sale of potent substances through pharmacy chains: conflict of criminal and administrative law norms

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