You always used prescription medications for your pain, but when the opioid crisis hit, your doctor stopped prescribing the dosages you needed. You weren’t addicted or dependent, you were in chronic pain.
Many people who had long used these medications to care for their pain found themselves struggling with tighter regulations over the years, and now, it can be almost impossible to get opioids. For some kinds of pain, NSAIDs and other forms of pain medications just aren’t strong enough.
As a result of the restrictions, you turned to a friend who had been through surgery. They had several prescriptions for opioids in the same dosages that you’d used previously. You were given a bottle to help you get through until you could see your doctor again and try to work something out.
Unfortunately, you were driving home and got into a minor crash. The police who arrived on the scene saw your medications had dropped on the ground and realized that no one with that name was at the scene. When you admitted that they were your medications, you suddenly found yourself in trouble for possession.
What happens when you’re caught with drugs that aren’t yours?
If you are caught with drugs that aren’t yours, you could face serious trouble with the law. To possess any prescription drug, you must have a prescription yourself. If you don’t have a valid prescription for the medication, then you can be charged with unlawful possession. You could face the suspension of your driver’s license, be made to go through court-ordered drug treatment, face prison and face excessive fines.
Specifically, opioid abuse has been a major problem in the United States. Since you’re in possession of illegal opioids, that’s a big issue. Did you know that the United States Department of Health and Human Services estimated that 11.4 million people are currently misusing opioids? It is no wonder that the authorities are so strict, but being strict can hurt people who truly need these drugs for their pain.
If you face drug charges as a result of having a prescription that doesn’t belong to you, it’s important that you do not admit that you’re using them or that they are yours. Your attorney will work with you to help defend you, because a prescription drug crime can be just as serious as being caught with illegal drugs like cocaine, heroin or others on the black market.