You could face charges of Felony delivery of a controlled substance for sharing your pain medication

Not everyone who has a prescription for pain medication needs to finish the bottle in order to get the relief they need. However, many of these lucky patients then make a bad move: They give some of their leftover medication to friends, family members, or others who ask for some to help with their pain. If you have leftover pain medication, do not share it with anyone, no matter how convincing their argument may be. To do so could result in charges of felony delivery of a controlled substance.

Customized Prescriptions

The dose of pain medication prescribed for you was chosen based on your unique situation. However, the person you’re giving the medication to may be less able to process the medication efficiently. What would be a normal dose for you could turn out to be an overdose for someone else. There is also the risk that by giving your medication to another person, you could be feeding an addiction they’ve been trying to hide.

If police find you giving prescription pain medication to another person, you could be charged with felony delivery of a controlled substance. This is a sticky situation because even though you were legally allowed to possess the medication, these medications are often controlled substances. Giving the medication to someone who does not have a prescription for it, and thus can’t legally possess it, constitutes the delivery of an illegal drug.

Medical Takeback Programs

This does not mean you’re stuck with extra medication. Contact your doctor or a local police station and ask about takeback programs, in which you can drop off old prescription medicine. The organization that runs the program will discard the medications safely.

If you have questions regarding giving medication to someone else, or you have been charged with delivery of a controlled substance that was prescribed to you, contact a lawyer at Eisenberg Law Offices quickly. These are charges you need to contest, and a lawyer who has experience with Wisconsin’s drug laws is your best choice.