If you are accused of prescription fraud, you face the possibility of long-term consequences and serious penalties.
Prescription fraud
Prescription fraud involves misusing medical prescriptions, either by obtaining, creating or altering them. It can include forging prescriptions, which means a person makes a fake prescription to look like it was signed by a healthcare provider. Similarly, a person may steal a prescription pad to write and fill their own prescriptions. Usually, these prescriptions are for controlled substances.
Sometimes, a person may have a legitimate prescription but changes it to a larger dose or quantity. Also, they may visit several different healthcare providers to obtain multiple prescriptions and fill them at different pharmacies. They may also call the pharmacy posing as a healthcare professional to order a prescription.
An accused person can face fines, imprisonment and may be blocked from receiving prescriptions at pharmacies that are aware of potential fraud.
Potential penalties
The penalties for prescription fraud can vary, depending on the substance involved and whether the accused has previous convictions for this crime. They may face fines and prison, which can range from months to years. They may also be placed on probation after completing their sentence.
The accused person may face forgery charges if they altered an existing prescription or created a false prescription and additional charges for impersonating a healthcare professional.
In addition to the criminal penalties, a conviction can make it difficult to find housing and employment and may cause reputational harm.