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Narcotic presciption law... PLEASE READ!
This is outragous!
I thought it would be crucial information for us to know though.
It is really terrible what happened to this person. I do not want this to happen to any of you here so please keep this in mind.
There needs to be a law requiring labeling stating that all prescribed narcotic prescriptions must be kept in their original prescribed bottles at all times!
I currently always keep a day or two's worth of all my medication (non-narcotic & narcotic) mixed together in one pill bottle and keep it on me in my purse. To me it is easier, than keeping two or three large bottles of narcotic medications in my purse, which could easily be lost or stolen. At home, I keep a weeks worth in those daily medication carriers, because I lock the rest of my narcotics up in a fire proof safe. This also keeps unknown people in my house from getting to them along with my 5 yr old daughter.
Recently, I went on a trip for a week to visit my father out of state where he was working. I had my mixed medication bottle in my purse, and a weeks worth of medication in their bottles packed in my suit cases, which were in the back of my car that I was driving. I left the rest home, since I just got a month's supply and I didn't want to take a chance of them being lost or stolen. Also a friend told me he was arrested while going away for a week and he had his full months prescription on him, so they got him on intent to sell or distribute dangerous controlled substances, because the cop said he did not need a full month's worth of medication for a week's trip! (What happened to keeping the medication together in their prescribed bottle?) So anyway, I was pulled over for speeding during my drive up to where I was going. The cop didn't search my car, but went through my purse and saw the medication bottle, which he opened. He asked me what all the pills were, and I was completely honest with him. I also told him the prescription bottles were packed away in my suit cases. I stated that I kept a few out of each, because I did not know how long that I would be on the road traveling. Now I have been on these medications for more than 5 years, so there was no driving while intoxicated because they did not work like that on me. The cop arrested me for being in possession of dangerous controlled substances! Now, until this, I did not know it was illegal to carry narcotics that you have prescriptions for in other means. I mean why do they make pill cases without warning labels on them? These ended up being Felony charges against me! I couldn't get the DA to drop the case even though I had valid prescriptions for them. Plus they were confiscated and I ran short at the end of the month, so I went through withdrawl a few days.
I called the DEA, no one could find this law! I looked under the Uniform Controlled Substance Act, and it is not there! So I firmly believe if this is supposed to be a federal law that you can go to jail for, then it should be easy to find and it is not!
THEREFORE, I BELIEVE THAT THIS LAW SHOULD BE MADE MORE PUBLICALLY KNOWN TO ALL THOSE ON PAIN MEDS AND IT SHOULD BE LABELED ON THE BOTTLE, LIKE THE OTHER LABELS, STATING " PRESCRIPTION MEDICATION MUST BE KEPT WITH ORIGINAL CONTAINER AT ALL TIMES."
I have talked to many and many people who have run into this situation that was clueless like myself. I think this law change and labeling addition would say alot of police officer's and courts time & money!
I thought it would be crucial information for us to know though.
It is really terrible what happened to this person. I do not want this to happen to any of you here so please keep this in mind.
There needs to be a law requiring labeling stating that all prescribed narcotic prescriptions must be kept in their original prescribed bottles at all times!
I currently always keep a day or two's worth of all my medication (non-narcotic & narcotic) mixed together in one pill bottle and keep it on me in my purse. To me it is easier, than keeping two or three large bottles of narcotic medications in my purse, which could easily be lost or stolen. At home, I keep a weeks worth in those daily medication carriers, because I lock the rest of my narcotics up in a fire proof safe. This also keeps unknown people in my house from getting to them along with my 5 yr old daughter.
Recently, I went on a trip for a week to visit my father out of state where he was working. I had my mixed medication bottle in my purse, and a weeks worth of medication in their bottles packed in my suit cases, which were in the back of my car that I was driving. I left the rest home, since I just got a month's supply and I didn't want to take a chance of them being lost or stolen. Also a friend told me he was arrested while going away for a week and he had his full months prescription on him, so they got him on intent to sell or distribute dangerous controlled substances, because the cop said he did not need a full month's worth of medication for a week's trip! (What happened to keeping the medication together in their prescribed bottle?) So anyway, I was pulled over for speeding during my drive up to where I was going. The cop didn't search my car, but went through my purse and saw the medication bottle, which he opened. He asked me what all the pills were, and I was completely honest with him. I also told him the prescription bottles were packed away in my suit cases. I stated that I kept a few out of each, because I did not know how long that I would be on the road traveling. Now I have been on these medications for more than 5 years, so there was no driving while intoxicated because they did not work like that on me. The cop arrested me for being in possession of dangerous controlled substances! Now, until this, I did not know it was illegal to carry narcotics that you have prescriptions for in other means. I mean why do they make pill cases without warning labels on them? These ended up being Felony charges against me! I couldn't get the DA to drop the case even though I had valid prescriptions for them. Plus they were confiscated and I ran short at the end of the month, so I went through withdrawl a few days.
I called the DEA, no one could find this law! I looked under the Uniform Controlled Substance Act, and it is not there! So I firmly believe if this is supposed to be a federal law that you can go to jail for, then it should be easy to find and it is not!
THEREFORE, I BELIEVE THAT THIS LAW SHOULD BE MADE MORE PUBLICALLY KNOWN TO ALL THOSE ON PAIN MEDS AND IT SHOULD BE LABELED ON THE BOTTLE, LIKE THE OTHER LABELS, STATING " PRESCRIPTION MEDICATION MUST BE KEPT WITH ORIGINAL CONTAINER AT ALL TIMES."
I have talked to many and many people who have run into this situation that was clueless like myself. I think this law change and labeling addition would say alot of police officer's and courts time & money!
nevermind,
it confused me at 1st, quotation marks would have helped.
however the message is pretty much the same.
it seems that whatever we do it can be twisted into something bad by law enforcement.
so what do we do then?
carry all our meds with us all the time? but then they can charge us with being under the influence.
does the law or legal fraternity have a view as to how we should carry our meds when out of the house?
it confused me at 1st, quotation marks would have helped.
however the message is pretty much the same.
it seems that whatever we do it can be twisted into something bad by law enforcement.
so what do we do then?
carry all our meds with us all the time? but then they can charge us with being under the influence.
does the law or legal fraternity have a view as to how we should carry our meds when out of the house?
3 Comments
Why not hold onto an extra bottle, the prior prescriptions, and the new one... I use an old bottle for carrying my med, and keep the extras at home in the newest bottle... The older bottle states to use the meds by a year in advance.. An official wouldn't be able to tell which bottle the med belong to, as the bottle states 8mg of hydromorphone on both, thus you wouldn't be breaking any laws.
That's a good idea. My problem is that my pain meds are in the pop bingo cards so my dr can call and get a count whenever. So they aren't even in a child proof bottle and they are big. I cut the label off and tape it to a bottle that I carry but I am on 9 prescriptions. 3 daily and the rest as needed. I have to carry a days supply because my elderly father has been hospitalized and I have spent the night several times. I would suggest call your police dept and get the legality of not carrying all the bottles. I would also record the conversation to keep as proof of what you were told.
Nikki, In the US Schedule 2 medications are required to be in the container. You can ask the pharmacy to print a second label to attach to the blister card for you to carry to show proof the medications are legally prescribed to you, or an extra bottle with a label large enough to put your prescription dosage inside to carry a day or two with you.
Nick:
I think you will have to check the laws in your Country. I'm not so sure that they are the same. And maybe they are!!
Terrible story anyway.
I think you will have to check the laws in your Country. I'm not so sure that they are the same. And maybe they are!!
Terrible story anyway.
The laws vary state by state. The federal law though is valid in each and every state in America.
The laws of course change with different contries and in my personal opinion they are worse than those in America so be very careful and learn the laws that affect you.
We are branded drug abusers when we go to the doctor concerning our pain and then again when we go to have the medications filled and then we could be branded as drug dealers when we have said medications on us. It seems we lose every way we turn. But there are those out there who do realize chronic pain is a disease and needs to be treated such as doctors and pharmacist and policman who perhaps have a loved one who suffers and needs theses kinds of medications. So it is important not to bunch them all together as bad people as we know there are those who do understand what we go through and how we live day to day.
The laws of course change with different contries and in my personal opinion they are worse than those in America so be very careful and learn the laws that affect you.
We are branded drug abusers when we go to the doctor concerning our pain and then again when we go to have the medications filled and then we could be branded as drug dealers when we have said medications on us. It seems we lose every way we turn. But there are those out there who do realize chronic pain is a disease and needs to be treated such as doctors and pharmacist and policman who perhaps have a loved one who suffers and needs theses kinds of medications. So it is important not to bunch them all together as bad people as we know there are those who do understand what we go through and how we live day to day.
I can totally relate to what you guys are all talking about. And believe it or not it gets worse. I was giving a friend of my sisters a ride to a local store. When we stopped for gas a cop started harassing my sister's friend and somehow that turned into finding out that she was on probation. I was in paying for the gas and using the potty then came out to find her with the cops at my car. He was just starting to search MY CAR when I came out. I asked what the problem was and he said that he had seen my friend in the parking lot and DIDN'T LIKE THE LOOKS OF HER and low and behold he said that his instincts were good, because after all she is on probation. He then searched my car, and then asked for my purse. I asked why, and was told that because I was with her that made me searchable as well. When going through my purse he found my meds. in their prescribed bottles. He wasn't familiar with the names and asked me what they were. I was honest and told him exactly what they were and what they were for. I had a bottle of Avinza (morphine er), a bottle of Oxycodoone, a bottle of dilaudid, and a bottle of Ambien. I was charged with four felony counts of possession of a C2 controlled substance. I went to jail for 5 days. I was arrested on a fri. night and did not get in front of a judge until the following wednesday. At that time they OR'd me, but that didnt give me back my 5 days.
I went to court over this 6 or 7 times, the arraigment, assigning an attorney, (they only make on tiny little decisions each time and then it is come back in another month. In the middle of all this I was very ill and didn't realize it, I ended up in the hospital, my case, (which I had already provided documentation to the court re: the prescriptions), and my attorney had said that they would probably drop the charges on our next visit as soon as they verified the validity of the documents. But being in the hospital I missed the next court date. When I contacted the public defenders office I found that my case had been transferred to a different court, a different DA and my public defender had retired. The new attorney did not seem to think I was really that bad off and kept setting new court dates 3 weeks away. Even though I told her that I had no idea when I was due to be released, that they were talking about taking my leg off and that I was due to be in the hospital for quite awhile. She set 6 different court appearances, I was in the hospital for all of them. When I was released I found that those missed appearances really ++=# off my judge so he issued a warrant for my arrest for $30,000.00 When I begged my PD to get it back on the calendar I was told that the only way to do that was to turn myself into the jail and wait until they could get me in front of a judge. Having just had my leg cut off I couldn't really think Of anything I wanted to do less than go to jail with one leg. So I waited.. trying to figure out what to do.
Flash forward 6 months...BAM BAM BAM at the door. The police were there to arrest me.. my sisters kids were taken by cps. (They've lived with me almost their whole lives), I bailed out in 2 hours. They would not return the kids. They declared me an unsuitable caregiver, and put my babies in foster care. Where they still are today. Yes the charges did get taken care of. It took my hiring my own attorney but they did finally drop the charges at the beginning of May. I go to court next week, and the attorney for the girls, and the attorney for my sister are all endorsing them being allowed to come home. I have no idea if that is going to happen or not. I pray that it does. I am really afraid that it won't because it seems like the personnel at the foster care agency have an agenda of their own, and it seems to involve the money they get to keep the kids more than what is best for them. They have been placed in 4 homes in 4 months.
Is there a moral to the story...The only one I can think of is don't take your drugs with you...it can ruin your life..and the lives of ones you love. This story is sad but true. I wish it weren't.
Vickey
I went to court over this 6 or 7 times, the arraigment, assigning an attorney, (they only make on tiny little decisions each time and then it is come back in another month. In the middle of all this I was very ill and didn't realize it, I ended up in the hospital, my case, (which I had already provided documentation to the court re: the prescriptions), and my attorney had said that they would probably drop the charges on our next visit as soon as they verified the validity of the documents. But being in the hospital I missed the next court date. When I contacted the public defenders office I found that my case had been transferred to a different court, a different DA and my public defender had retired. The new attorney did not seem to think I was really that bad off and kept setting new court dates 3 weeks away. Even though I told her that I had no idea when I was due to be released, that they were talking about taking my leg off and that I was due to be in the hospital for quite awhile. She set 6 different court appearances, I was in the hospital for all of them. When I was released I found that those missed appearances really ++=# off my judge so he issued a warrant for my arrest for $30,000.00 When I begged my PD to get it back on the calendar I was told that the only way to do that was to turn myself into the jail and wait until they could get me in front of a judge. Having just had my leg cut off I couldn't really think Of anything I wanted to do less than go to jail with one leg. So I waited.. trying to figure out what to do.
Flash forward 6 months...BAM BAM BAM at the door. The police were there to arrest me.. my sisters kids were taken by cps. (They've lived with me almost their whole lives), I bailed out in 2 hours. They would not return the kids. They declared me an unsuitable caregiver, and put my babies in foster care. Where they still are today. Yes the charges did get taken care of. It took my hiring my own attorney but they did finally drop the charges at the beginning of May. I go to court next week, and the attorney for the girls, and the attorney for my sister are all endorsing them being allowed to come home. I have no idea if that is going to happen or not. I pray that it does. I am really afraid that it won't because it seems like the personnel at the foster care agency have an agenda of their own, and it seems to involve the money they get to keep the kids more than what is best for them. They have been placed in 4 homes in 4 months.
Is there a moral to the story...The only one I can think of is don't take your drugs with you...it can ruin your life..and the lives of ones you love. This story is sad but true. I wish it weren't.
Vickey
Well, I've heard it all now. I have someone in my home that used to (too recently ago) steal my drugs and take them himself. I had to take all mine with me at times. I also put some of each of my drugs into a single bottle. I take a great many meds and I can't take them all or I'd have to go to church, the store, etc. with a suitcase! This is absurd! Sometimes, when I know I'm innocent, or in the right, I tend to behave naively. I guess I need to figure something out. I thought the only time you could get into trouble was if you crossed country borders or something. If they have to be in their original bottles, yet you can't have a months worth - what is the answer? Put most in an old bottle, also marked by the correct label, and take just the right amount in the current bottle? What if you're held over and you run out? Oh my, I'm not sure how to handle this. Maybe it's a good thing that I'm now too sick to leave home much. The only places I go are the doctor and hospital, but being stopped speeding etc. still would be a problem. I'm stumped.
Jan
Jan
I have to say Vickey, that's horrible. However for most, I don't think that would happen.
1. If you take the medication legally, you have backup. Cops can't charge you with possession of something you're meant to have unless they're complete psychos.
2. I can't imagine they'd get angry at having 60 pills in a bottle that says you have 60 pills. It would seem far more suspicious to have 20 in a bottle meant for 60.
3. Also, don't tell cops anything if you can help it until you speak to a lawyer. It can end up hurting you more than helping.
1. If you take the medication legally, you have backup. Cops can't charge you with possession of something you're meant to have unless they're complete psychos.
2. I can't imagine they'd get angry at having 60 pills in a bottle that says you have 60 pills. It would seem far more suspicious to have 20 in a bottle meant for 60.
3. Also, don't tell cops anything if you can help it until you speak to a lawyer. It can end up hurting you more than helping.
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