If you distribute drugs to people who do not have a prescription, you can get into deep trouble with the law. Even though you may not be selling the drugs, it is illegal to give others medications that you possess even if you have extras. Sharing your pills or taking pills that don’t belong to you are both illegal acts.
Possessing controlled prescription drugs without a prescription or giving away controlled prescription drugs to someone you know can result in criminal charges. Additionally, if someone dies as a result of taking the medications you’ve provided them, you could be charged with homicide or manslaughter.
In many cases, you can face a felony charge for distributing medications to people without prescriptions or possessing medications that were not given to you by prescription. Some of the drugs that are restricted due to their addictive qualities include Lortab, methadone, OxyContin, oxycodone and Vicodin. These medications, many of which are opiates, have a high possibility of causing addiction, which is why they are restricted.
You may believe you’re doing a loved one or friend a favor by giving them your leftover medications, especially if they already have a prescription for the same pills. The problem is that the individual’s doctors need to know how much they take and when they’re supposed to take them. If they have more pills than expected, it makes it hard to track the medications’ usage, which could end up leading to addiction down the line.
If you face charges, you can fight back. There may be an explanation, and you shouldn’t have to face penalties for a crime you didn’t commit.