Using Medicine Without a Prescription Is Illegal

Using Medicine Without a Prescription Is Illegal Addiction Drug Use Prescription Medications Print Using Drugs Without a Prescription Is Illegal By Buddy T facebook twitter Buddy T is an anonymous writer and founding member of the Online Al-Anon Outreach Committee with decades of experience writing about alcoholism. Learn about our editorial policy Buddy T Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Steven Gans, MD on February 06, 2020 Steven Gans, MD is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital. Learn about our Medical Review Board Steven Gans, MD on February 06, 2020 Shana Novak / Getty Images More in Addiction Drug Use Prescription Medications Cocaine Heroin Marijuana Meth Ecstasy/MDMA Hallucinogens Opioids Alcohol Use Addictive Behaviors Nicotine Use Coping and Recovery You may have heard that using and sharing prescription drugs is legal. Many teens believe that if they get pills from their familys medicine cabinet, instead of a street dealer, then its not against the law. Nothing could be further from the truth. There are both federal and state laws that make using or sharing prescription drugs  illegal.?? If you take a pill that was prescribed to someone else or give that pill to another person, not only is it against the law, its extremely dangerous. Why Teens May Try Prescription Drugs Teens may abuse prescription drugs because theres less of a stigma than there is with street drugs.?? If there are prescription drugs in the household medicine cabinet, they may be easy for teens to get, and since theyre prescribed by a doctor, theres a perception that these drugs are safer than street drugs. But with the growing opioid epidemic, its especially important for parents to curb any prescription drug abuse, and treat it as seriously as if they caught their teen with another illegal street drug. Federal and State Prescription Drug Laws Prescription drugs are considered controlled substances. The U.S Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration, Title 21 Controlled Substances Act, makes it clear that the only legal way to access prescription drugs is to have a doctors prescription. This law states that no controlled substance ...    may be dispensed without the written prescription of a practitioner.?? Sometimes even when a doctor does prescribe a drug, it may violate the law. For example, if a doctor writes a prescription for too many pills, either knowing that they are going to be resold or knowing that the amount is way too much medication for a single patient, that could be considered a criminal act. Possession With Intent to Distribute Some states have laws making it illegal for you to be in possession of your own prescription drugs under certain circumstances, including laws that make it illegal to carry around pills that are not in their labeled prescription bottle.?? In other words, if you are carrying around pills that your doctor prescribed to you, but you have them loose in your pocket or purse, it may be considered illegal. The presumption may be that you are carrying them in that manner so that you can distribute them. When Prescription Drugs Are Illegal No matter what your middle school or high school friends tell you, using and sharing prescription drugs can be just as illegal as possession of certain street drugs. And  taking drugs not prescribed for you is very dangerous. You have no idea what effects a drug may have on you. Not only can taking prescription medications make you very sick, it can potentially land you in jail. Just because you got them out of your familys medicine cabinet doesnt make them legal.