Not the written prescription and not the drugs themselves. If a doctor prescribes something for me, is it mine to take forever?
Eg: Suppose my doc prescribes something for pain because I broke my leg. If I don’t use all of the pills, would it be legal for me to take them a year later if I had a bad headache? I realize that it’s not a good idea, I’m just interested in the legalities.
The question came up in the context of company drug testing. A co-worker (no, really) believes that anything that the drug test uncovers is OK as long as you have a prescription bottle for it, even if it was filled years ago. I’m not so sure.
Cite? Assuming the the prescription is made out to you? Prescriptions run out partly due to concerns about efficacy, and partly due to the desire to sell more pills. My wife, who knows more about this than I do, says that many drugs are effective well past their expiration date - which is usually a year no matter what type of drug it is.
And clearly drugs which are not illegal have the same expiration dates as drugs which might get you into trouble.
In any case, keeping drugs around over a year without using them is not usually a sign of an addiction problem.
Probably varies by state and the drug prescribed. In California, since January 1, 2004, prescriptions for all controlled substances (Schedules II–V) are valid for 6months from the date written. (from http://www.pharmacy.ca.gov) I don’t know whether possessing the drug after that time is legal or not, it doesn’t say.
Just because you possess a bottle of Lortabs with a prescription label made out to you is not proof that the Lortabs inside are the ones that the pharmacist put in the bottle. The bottle could have been refilled with illegally aquired Lortabs many, many times.
My son was randomly tested after an athletic competition. Before the actual test, he told them that he had a prescription for Ritalin and had followed the competition guidelines. But he tested positive for amphetamines, probably because he hadn’t eaten or drunk much to keep his weight down. After protracted discussions, he accepted disqualification from the meet and a short suspension (during a time when there was no competition scheduled.) So simply waving a prescription isn’t necessarily going to protect you.
I was under the impression that the law required a patient to take prescription medicine “as directed” or not at all. Now, if you are feeling anxious, so you take 2 xanaxs instead of the 1 the doctor prescribed, I don’t think the feds will be breaking down your door. But if he gives you 30 for a 30 day supply, and you take 10 at once, I can’t imagine that being legal.
If that is the case, why did he get disqualified? There are baseball players who use Adderall for “medical conditions”, why would a kid be disqualified?
WhyNot, insults are not permitted in GQ. Do not do this again. No warning issued.
Well, after all you chose an insulting username for yourself. If you are going to take offense when people reference it, you might consider changing it.
The OP doesn’t give his location, but in the US it varies by state, typically from 6 months to a year. It’s 1 year here in Florida, or six months for Schedule II drugs.