Articles Posted in Possession of a Controlled Substance

I was pulled over by the police, and they found medication in the car. I got the pills from a friend who has a prescription, but the prescription is not in my name. I’m taking the medication to treat a health condition I have. Can I face criminal liability for this?

Yes. As most people are aware, under Florida Statute 893.13 it is illegal to have a controlled substance in your possession unless that controlled substance is prescribed to you by a licensed practitioner providing you with medical treatment.  Common controlled substances include but are not limited to amphetamines such as Adderall, benzodiazepines such a Xanax, and narcotics, including oxycodone, hydrocodone, methadone, and morphine. Possession of a controlled substance without a prescription is a third-degree felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a $5,000.00 fine.  Continue reading

I want to get a prescription for this medication that I am taking illegally…

I have been using a narcotic medication that I’ve gotten from friends, but I do not have a prescription myself. I realize that being in possession of this medication without a prescription is illegal and I could face criminal charges, so I want to try to get a prescription from my doctor. If I tell my doctor the right things that they need to hear, whether or not it’s true, to get a prescription, will I be safe from criminal charges?

Most people realize that being in possession of a controlled substance without a prescription is illegal. What people often do not realize is that there are also laws in Florida that make it illegal to obtain or attempt to obtain a prescription for a controlled substance by making false statements or misrepresentations, committing fraud or forgery, or through deception. This makes it illegal to lie to a doctor to obtain a prescription for a controlled substance. It is also illegal in Florida to withhold information from a practitioner who is prescribing you a controlled substance that you have already received a controlled substance or a prescription for a controlled substance of like therapeutic use from another practitioner within the previous thirty (30) days. This is intended to prevent “doctor shopping,” or the practice of obtaining multiple prescriptions from multiple doctors within the same timeframe. Continue reading

Yes. There are several ways under current Florida law for a physician to face criminal liability for illegally prescribing or trafficking controlled substances. Physicians can be held criminally liable for prescribing controlled substances without conducting proper medical examinations, writing a prescription for a controlled substance if the sole purpose is to provide a monetary benefit to the physician, possessing a building or structure (the clinic  or office) for the purposes of trafficking a controlled substance, writing a prescription for a fictitious person,  and assisting someone in obtaining a prescription for a controlled substance through deceptive, untrue, or fraudulent representations, or through employing a trick or scheme. All of these charges are felonies, and a physician will often be charged with several of the above-mentioned criminal offenses if they’re engaged in illegally prescribing controlled substances. Continue reading