Drug Crimes Can Involve Prescription Drugs, Too

Florida is one of the U.S. states with the highest percentage of residents over the age of 60, who may require medical care and thus, more prescription medication. That said, there is still a significant number of Floridians, regardless of age, who are not aware that possessing a prescription drug may still be grounds for criminal charges. There are many different types of criminal offenses a person may be charged with that involve prescription drugs, and if you are facing these types of charges, enlisting an attorney as soon as possible is a good idea.

Selling Or Sharing Controlled Substances

Normally, having a doctor’s prescription means that even if a controlled substance is illegal, a person may possess a very small amount of it for personal use in treating a medical condition. However, there are two scenarios in which a prescription does not prevent a person from being charged with a drug offense: namely, either selling or giving their legally obtained controlled substance to someone who is not authorized to have it.

While obviously, this may be enforced somewhat unevenly – for example, no one will likely find out if you gave your friend one of your Adderall pills one night – the penalties are not to be taken lightly if you are found out. Most of these offenses are charged as a second-degree misdemeanor, which may be merely a fine, but if you are found to have sold or given a large amount of drugs, or given a Schedule I, highly addictive substance, you may face felony charges.

Fraud & Prescription Drugs

The other major type of prescription drug-related offenses is those related to fraud. While the strong majority of people who come to a doctor and leave with a prescription genuinely need the substance to treat a medical condition, it is unfortunately not uncommon for people to engage in what is known as doctor shopping. A patient who doctor shops will visit multiple medical professionals, often giving them the same story, trying to obtain prescriptions for controlled substances from each one.

If a patient is unsuccessful in doctor shopping, they may simply try to forge a prescription for their targeted substance. Both doctor shopping and forgery are charged as felonies, as is providing false information to a doctor for the purpose of obtaining a controlled substance (thus, even if someone is unsuccessful in doctor shopping, they may still be charged under Florida law).

Contact A West Palm Beach Prescription Drug Crimes Attorney

Even if someone understands that prescription drugs can play a role in drug crimes, being charged with one can be a shock. A West Palm Beach drug crimes attorney from Perlet & Shiner, P.A. can help answer your questions and make sure you get your day in court. Call our office today to speak to an attorney.

Source:

leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0800-0899/0893/Sections/0893.13.html