Painkillers, CNS, stimulants, anti-depressants and other medications help hundreds of thousands of people every single day. However, there are also many people who abuse these medications.
Unfortunately, drug addiction and abuse exist even within the healthcare industry. It can lead to prescription fraud because that is a relatively easy and accessible avenue for people to get their fix.
What is prescription fraud?
Texas state statutes go into detail about defining prescription fraud. First, it is important to know that there are many types of prescription fraud. It is not limited to patients, either. Professionals in the medical community like nurses and pharmacists may abuse prescriptions as well.
It is sometimes hard to even tell when a crime technically counts as fraud, too. A few examples include:
- Doctor shopping, i.e. visiting many doctors to get multiple prescriptions
- Impersonating medical personnel to call in a prescription
- Purchasing drugs from illegal sources or the internet
- Filing a false police report for stolen medication to get more
- Prescribing medication for no legitimate reason
- Forging prescriptions
Even the simple act of sharing a medication with someone else technically counts as prescription fraud and is punishable by law.
The penalties associated with prescription fraud
In Texas, the penalties associated with prescription fraud depend on several factors such as the type of drug in question. A controlled substance classed as Schedule II through Schedule V is a third-degree felony and may result in a maximum of 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
Schedule I or II substances, on the other hand, may count as second-degree felonies, resulting in up to 20 years in prison. Thus, it is crucial to defend against any accusations of prescription fraud charges.
