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Can you share prescription medications?

On Behalf of | Feb 16, 2023 | Drug Charges |

If you’re someone who uses prescription medications, there may come a time when you are tempted to share them with someone else. For instance, maybe a family member has a similar condition to yours and wants to try the medication that you’ve been given. Maybe you are actually done taking your prescription and someone offers to buy the remaining pills from you.

Some people believe that they are allowed to do this, and the rationale is often that they are the one who owns the medication. They purchased it legally. They went to the doctor, got the right prescription and then picked it up at the pharmacy. Since it is now property that they own, they assume that they can do whatever they want with it. But is this true?

It could result in drug charges

It’s very important to understand that this is not how it works and that you are not allowed to share or sell prescription medication. It is illegal to do so, and it is illegal for the other person to use these substances – or merely to possess them.

What you must remember is that these substances are strictly controlled under U.S. law. You did make a legal purchase if you had the prescription, but only because you had been issued that prescription. Without it, the purchase becomes illegal, and so you’re never allowed to sell it to a third party. In the most serious cases, this could appear to be a form of drug dealing or even drug trafficking.

If you do find yourself facing drug charges over a mistake, make sure you know exactly what legal defense options you have.