Prescription medications are relatively common. Especially as people enter their golden years, they may need to take multiple different types of medications to ensure their health or manage certain symptoms.
People often take for granted that their access to prescription medication is legal. However, it is possible for people to break the law with medication recommended by a doctor and dispensed by a pharmacy. People who have prescriptions sometimes become complacent about their behavior while taking medication and might put themselves at risk of prosecution.
They could also make choices that put people close to them at risk of criminal charges. If a loved one with medical challenges asks for certain favors related to prescription medication, the person performing the favor could be at risk of prosecution.
Sharing medication is a crime
Perhaps two people have the same medical condition or use similar prescriptions to treat different medical conditions. People who cannot refill their prescriptions or cannot afford their medication may sometimes ask others to give away or sell their unused medication as a personal favor.
Unfortunately, such transfers put the party giving the medication to someone else at risk of prosecution. Unlicensed individuals cannot dispense medication to others even if both parties have prescriptions for the same medication.
Transporting medication can be a risk too
Another common favor people request related to prescription medication has to do with transportation. Perhaps a roommate left for work and did not take their medication with them. Maybe they visited and forgot their medications when they went home.
In such scenarios, the prescription holder might ask the host or a roommate with access to the medication to bring the prescription to them. However, the transportation of a prescription drug that someone has already opened could lead to criminal charges.
Particularly in cases where the medication is no longer in its original packaging, the party transporting the medication could be at risk of prosecution. People can only legally transport prescription medication for others when it is still sealed in the original packaging provided by the pharmacy.
Understanding how seemingly small and kind acts could lead to significant drug charges can be beneficial for those who know people using powerful medication. Sadly, information about these risks can come too late in certain cases. Those facing charges due to innocent circumstances may need help preparing a viable defense strategy when they respond to those accusations in criminal court.