You know that prescription medications are controlled, and that’s why you need the prescription in the first place. Once you have it, the pharmacy is allowed to legally fill the prescription. Anyone without that prescription cannot get the medication in question.
All the same, you probably don’t think of prescription medications the same way you would think of illegal drugs. These medications feel very legal, as long as you take the right steps to get them. This can lead people to assume that, once they’ve obtained them, they can do whatever they want. But this is not always the case.
Sharing your prescriptions can lead to criminal charges
For instance, perhaps you have a family member who is experiencing similar issues to the ones you’ve been having. Maybe you’re using painkillers due to an injury, and they have suffered a back injury at work. They don’t want to go through the whole process of filing for workers comp and finding a doctor, so they just asked you if they can have some of your painkillers.
You may give them these painkillers and think that you’re just trying to be helpful, and those intentions may be good, but this is still illegal. You’re not allowed to share prescriptions under any circumstances, as it violates the prescription medication laws. In essence, you’re giving someone an illegal drug, even though it is not illegal for you to have it.
The law has been set up this way for many reasons, including the fact that legal drug use often leads to addiction and illegal drug use later on. Many of those who are seeking prescription medications without a prescription are actually using them recreationally or they have become addicted to them. You may know that this hasn’t happened to your friend or family member, but the law doesn’t make exceptions. It is still illegal to share these prescriptions and there could be serious ramifications for both you and the other individual.
What if you are facing drug charges?
If a simple mistake with the best of intentions has led to some serious drug charges, make sure you know about all the legal defense options at your disposal.