People in Georgia receive prescriptions for controlled substances to help them manage pain, overcome psychiatric issues and/or reduce the frequency and severity of seizures that they experience. There are drugs for all kinds of symptoms and maladies, many of which have secondary uses and are, therefore, subject to strict legal controls.
All too often, those with prescribed medication make simple mistakes that put them at risk of criminal prosecution. People may pay quite a bit of money to fill a prescription at a pharmacy and tend to assume afterward that they have the right to do whatever they want with that medication. However, some people end up prosecuted for actions that they take with prescription drugs after obtaining them lawfully.
Georgia law restricts the distribution of medicine
Individuals who transfer prescription medication to others usually need a state license to do so. Only those with the proper education and training can qualify for a license that allows them to dispense controlled substances to others. Simply having a prescription written by a physician does not empower someone to transfer their medication to others. Even in a scenario where the other party has a prescription for the same medication or when the people sharing the medicine are in the same family, the act of transferring a drug to someone else without a license is a crime.
The exact charges and criminal penalties someone will face will depend on the schedule of the drug and the amount that they transferred or attempted to transfer to someone else. Many individuals accused of illegally sharing or selling prescription medication may end up facing felony charges that could impact their opportunities for the rest of their life unless they defend against the allegations successfully.
If someone pays to purchase a prescription medication, they only have a lawful right to use it themselves, not to dispense it to others. Understanding the rules that apply to the possession of controlled substances like prescription drugs may help people avoid criminal charges or better respond to pending accusations related to prescriptions in Georgia.