At the Law Office of Rob McKinney, we understand that there are serious drug charges that can make others seem minor in comparison. However, we know that any charge is serious, especially if you didn’t realize you might be committing a crime. Like many Tennessee residents, you might not give a second thought to handing a prescription pill to a friend or family member if you think it could help, but this might get you in legal trouble.
Prescription drugs are legally valid only to the person the doctor prescribed them for, as FindLaw explains. Why would you share a prescription pill, then? You might have some antibiotics left over from a regimen you never completed. Your co-worker is suffering from a severe cough, and you offer to give her the remainder of the pills in the bottle to save her the expense and hassle of a doctor’s appointment. Or, you might be nervous about an upcoming flight and your mother gives you a few of her anti-anxiety pills.
One of the reasons for controlling prescription medications is the harmful potential of taking medication when your doctor hasn’t examined you. Your friend might have a serious and possibly life-threatening reaction to a medication that was safe for you. Your friend’s illness or your anxiety might be treated better with a different medication or could be exacerbated by taking an unfamiliar prescription. Many people become addicted to prescription drugs, as well, and there are harsh criminal penalties for fraudulently prescribing or trafficking controlled medications.
You probably mean well if you offer to share your medication. However, as our page explains, sharing or tampering with a prescription may cause more problems than it is worth.
