If you’re accused of forging a prescription, understand that it’s a serious charge. A prescription is not able to be written by someone without a medical degree, and only certain medical professionals have the right to do so. It takes much time, education and continuing accreditation to have the right to give you medications. Falsifying a prescription is a crime because it’s fraud.
For a prescription to be legal and valid, it needs to have several things. It should have the date of issue, the name of the medication and its intended strength, the dosage of the pills, how many pills or how much of the medication is to be distributed, the directions for use and the total number of refills allowed. The authorized doctor must sign the prescription.
Altering or forging a prescription is illegal because the substances you’re seeking are controlled. They’re controlled for a reason, likely because of the risk of harm coming to patients if they take too much. Prescription alterations are a kind of drug dealing and an uncontrolled use of the medications that are meant to be restricted.
There are reasons why someone could be accused of forging a prescription, like if he or she signs the name of a doctor who legitimately prescribed the medication because he or she forgot to. No matter what the case is, it’s important that you defend yourself and stand up for your rights. Our website has more information on what to do if you’re accused of forging a prescription or altering one and the penalties you could face if convicted.