English

Noun

drug deal ‎(plural drug deals)

1. Used other than as an idiom: see drug,‎ deal.
   • 1902 March 1, American druggist and pharmaceutical record, volume 40-41, page 152:

     A new drug deal of mammoth proportions which has excited the liveliest amount of interest in the wholesale and retail trade in Cincinnati, and throughout the State, has just been consummated.

   • 1985, Jack Doyle, Altered harvest: agriculture, genetics, and the fate of the ...:

     Agrichemical interests, not part of the drug deal, were advised to pursue their own bill,

   • 2001, West Africa, number 4258-4273:

     Several non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have denounced the lack of transparency in a multinational HTV/AIDS drug deal for developing countries.

   • 2005, John English, Ramesh Chandra Thakur, Andrew Fenton Cooper, Reforming from the Top: A Leaders’ 20 Summit, page 36:

     There is little downside to the drug deal – the losses involved are profits from potential future sales of patented drugs.

   • 2005, Alexander Kirsch, Securitization of Intellectual Property as a Funding Alternative, page 53:

     After 2004 two deals were brought to market, 2005 has welcomed its first drug deal already in January.

   • 2005, P. K. Vasudeva, World Trade Organization: implications for Indian economy:

     The drug deal reached among the countries appeared to be a temporary relief to the developing countries.

   • 2007, Jonas E. Alexis, In the Name of Education, page 84:

     Drug companies are even giving doctors "free gists, free meals, free education, special deals" in order for those doctors to accept their drug deal.

   • 2008, Mark Baldassare, Cheryl Katz, The Coming Age of Direct Democracy: California's Recall and Beyond, page 201:

     The two sides also agreed on a prescription drug deal with sanctions on pharmaceutical companies that failed to provide discounts for low-income Californians.

2. An illegal business transaction where cash or something else of value is exchanged for illegal drugs, usually conducted in a clandestine manner.

Derived terms

• drug dealer