What is Prescription Fraud?

Primarily, forging or misusing a prescription constitutes as prescription fraud. Under the Illinois Controlled Substances Act, prescription fraud is a serious felony offense which is punishable by up to 5 years of imprisonment. From medical technicians to patients, anyone can get involved in a prescription fraud. Even being caught with a prescription drug without a valid prescription can lead to hefty fines and prison sentences. According to experienced felony drug charge lawyers, most people are unaware of their rights and end up worsening their case by admitting guilt straight away.

 

How can you get involved in a prescription fraud?

 

Essentially, a prescription is a document upon which an authorized medical practitioner instructs or rather authorizes a patient to receive a certain medication or procedure. A person can be involved in a prescription fraud by faking or forging such a document without the permission of the doctor. It can be done by either editing an actual prescription by changing the name of the medication or by creating a fake prescription from scratch. Some fraudulent prescriptions are made using the identities of actual doctors without their knowledge while others are made using fictional identities.

 

Why do People Commit Prescription Fraud?

 

There are several motivations and reasons for people who get involved in prescription fraud. From satiating their addiction to helping out people in pain, people get involved in prescription fraud due to both good and bad intentions. It is important to understand that regardless of the intentions, ones proved prescription fraud is considered as a serious felony offense. Although, with the help of an experienced drug felony lawyer, one could defend themselves comprehensively against the charges being pressed and get a reduced sentence. In most cases, a handwriting professional is hired to prove whether the forged prescription was, in fact, made by the person in question.

 

Empowered with years of experience, a drug felony lawyer can devise a strategy which could allow a person to avoid any jail time or fine at all. In the end, what really matters is how good your criminal defense strategy is.

 

For further information or to schedule a free consultation, contact Ettinger & Besbekos, today at (847) 278-8657 to speak with an experienced criminal defense lawyer on this topic.