Prescription drugs are legal to use and possess when under the care of a physician. If a medical doctor recommends a certain line of treatment, you then have the right to use those specific controlled substances in accordance with your doctor’s recommendations.
The more frequently you take a prescription medication, the more accustomed to it you may become. Unfortunately, comfort with the use of prescription medication can lead to serious mistakes. Although a prescription empowers you to use a controlled substance, there are still situations where those medications might lead to your arrest.
1) When you get behind the wheel after taking your medicine
Perhaps you have used the same opioid painkiller for years to dull the ache of a soft tissue injury or damaged joint. When you first started taking the medication, it likely affected your cognition and ability to function. These days, you barely notice it.
Feeling comfortable with the medication you take might mean that you no longer feel impaired by it. Getting behind the wheel after taking prescription drugs that can cause drowsiness or affect your cognition would constitute impaired driving and might lead to criminal charges.
2) When you intentionally misuse the medication
People abuse many different prescription drugs. From taking too many painkillers to intentionally mixing more than one substance, there are multiple ways in which a patient could misuse a medication. You only have the legal right to use this drug as recommended by your physician. If you abuse the drug and get caught doing so, it could lead to charges.
3) When you purchase medication or give it to others
Maybe someone at your work offered you their leftover medication because they don’t need it, and they know how high your co-pay is. Perhaps your doctor has refused to refill your prescription, despite the fact that you have not resolved the underlying medical condition or symptoms that you use the medication to treat.
Maybe you are the one with leftover medication and would like to do something kind for others or simply not let it go to waste. The transfer of prescription medication between individuals can mean criminal charges if people get caught and if someone who receives the medication causes harm to others or commits a crime while under the influence of it.
Knowing restrictions when it comes to prescription medicines can help you avoid making mistakes that could lead to drug charges, a criminal record and possibly even incarceration. That knowledge can also help you plan to defend yourself if you wind up accused of misusing your prescribed medication.
