Prescription medications or controlled substances are drugs that the federal government classifies as helpful for individuals but still potentially risky. Having a physician oversee the use of certain medications decreases the possibility of someone abusing the medication or ending up chemically dependent on it.
Although people often presume that prescription medication is legal in every important sense once they pick it up from the pharmacy, it is still possible to end up in legal trouble because of a medication that your doctor recommended to you. When does your use or possession of a prescription potentially violate state law?
When you drive after taking it
Medications ranging from muscle relaxants and narcotic pain relievers to sleep aids and psychiatric drugs may affect your ability to drive safely. The impaired driving laws in Georgia apply to prescription medications just as they do to alcohol or the abuse of substances prohibited by state law.
When you don’t have a prescription for your pills
You know that a particular ADHD medication helps improve your job performance when you have a looming deadline. However, your doctor will not prescribe it to you anymore because of the high risk of abuse.
Although you may be able to purchase those same prescriptions on the unregulated market, you could end up charged with the crime if you get caught purchasing or possessing medication when you don’t have a prescription for that drug.
There are many other ways that people can break controlled substance laws in Georgia. Learning more about what behaviors might lead to drug charges can help you make smarter choices about your prescribed medication.