Is it legal to share prescription medications?

 Posted on August 05, 2022 in English

When you get your prescription filled, you assume that you're the only one who's ever going to use the medication. After all, it's for treating a very specific ailment that you're dealing with, and that's why you got the prescription from the doctor in the first place.

But you later find out that someone else claims to have a similar ailment. Maybe it's a family member or a close friend. They bring this up after you've already stopped taking the medication, but you still have a few pills left over that you forgot to throw away. Your friend asks you if they can just have those pills because it might help them, as well. Can you give them away?

This may sound helpful, but it is illegal

It's very important to point out that sharing prescription medication is actually illegal. The only way that these drugs can be consumed legally is when the person who has the prescription is the one using them. Even then, they still have to follow the directions and they can only use so much at a time.

Giving the medication to someone else violates these rules and breaks the law. That other person may claim to have the same element, but they don't have a prescription from the doctor. Even if they did, they wouldn't have a prescription for your specific medication.

So you may think that you're just trying to help them out, and you may have the best intentions in the world, but this could still lead to some very serious legal charges if you're found sharing, selling or even just giving away prescription medication. If you do end up facing charges and you're worried about your future, make sure you know exactly what legal options you have.