How easy is it to get into trouble over prescription drugs?

On Behalf of | Apr 24, 2023 | Criminal Defense

The United States has been struggling with a drug problem for decades – but the focus of the battle has shifted in recent years from “street” drugs, like heroin and meth, to the misuse of prescription medications.

Kentucky has been aggressive about passing legislation to try to stop people from getting their hands on unnecessary medications.

What sorts of things are considered prescription drug fraud?

While most people assume that the legislation is directed at “pill mills” and doctors who indiscriminately prescribe, the reality is that many ordinary people can also run afoul of the law over their prescription medications. You can get into serious legal trouble for things like:

  • Hiding your medical history or lying about your condition or other prescriptions to a doctor to get painkillers or another controlled substance
  • Sharing your own prescription painkillers, ADHD medications or other controlled substances with a friend or relative (even if you don’t charge them)
  • Altering a legitimate prescription for a controlled substance to obtain a larger dosage or greater quantity of the drug, or even changing the expiration date on a prescription to get a refill without a hassle
  • Falsely claiming that a prescription was lost or destroyed to get extra medication
  • Purposefully injuring yourself or lying about a hard-to-dispute condition, like a back injury or migraines, in order to get prescription painkillers
  • “Doctor shopping,” by going from physician to physician in search of someone willing to write the prescriptions you want, without any real intent to form a true doctor-patient relationship

While opioids have gotten the most attention, it’s also important to remember that drug fraud charges can apply to any controlled substance, including muscle relaxers, “study drugs” like Adderall or Ritalin, benzos like Valium and more. If you or your loved one made a mistake, find out how an experienced defense can help you untangle the situation so you can move forward.