Seeing someone you care about in pain or sickness is difficult. If you have medication at home that you know would help them, you may be tempted to give it to them. This comes at a risk if the medicine is a prescription drug because it is illegal to share your prescriptions with another person.
Prescription drugs, especially those that are on the controlled substances list, are highly regulated. You can face drug charges if you’re caught passing or selling your prescriptions to another person. Besides being illegal, sharing drugs with others can be very unsafe.
Why is sharing your prescriptions a bad idea?
Doctors have to take several factors into account when they’re writing prescriptions. These include:
- Current medical conditions
- Medical history
- Other prescriptions
- Age, weight, and height
- Lifestyle factors
Just because your situation is similar to your friend’s or family member’s circumstances doesn’t mean that they would need the exact same drug or dosage as you have. Even seemingly small differences could make a big impact on the prescription that’s written.
The circumstances surrounding you providing another person with your prescription determine what charge you might face. Some of the factors considered include:
- Type of prescription
- Whether you were paid or not
- Quantity of the drug transferred
Anyone who’s facing criminal charges for sharing their prescriptions should learn about their options for addressing the matter. These may change as the case progresses so be sure to get started early. You need to consider how a conviction may impact you now and into the future. Be sure you make decisions based on what you feel is in your best interests.
