Miami Prescription Fraud Lawyer
Fraud is the act of using deception to illegally take something from another party. Generally, it is used to take money or gain access to money or items with monetary value, such as taking a victim’s personal information to use to access his or her bank accounts or make purchases with his or her credit cards. Fraud is divided into many categories based on how and why it is committed. Prescription fraud is the use of fraud to obtain prescription drugs. Many of the pharmaceutical drugs used to treat patients are heavily regulated because of their powerful effects and how easily users can become addicted. Federal and state-level controlled dangerous substance laws categorize drugs according to their propensity for abuse by users and their accepted medical uses with supervision or restrictions. Attempting to circumvent these regulations in an effort to obtain drugs illegally is a criminal offense. But sometimes, individuals are charged with prescription fraud despite legitimately seeking the treatment they need. If you are facing a prescription fraud charge, work with an experienced Miami prescription fraud lawyer.
Defining Prescription Fraud
Prescription fraud is defined as any act of misrepresenting oneself to a doctor or pharmacist in an attempt to obtain drugs. Many different actions can be considered to be prescription fraud. A few examples include:
- Doctor shopping. Because users of certain prescription drugs can become addicted or suffer serious harm, doctors may only prescribe small amounts of these drugs to patients. Patients who visit multiple doctors and fail to disclose that they have received certain substances from other providers already in an attempt to obtain more drugs may be charged with prescription fraud;
- Using a forged or stolen script to obtain a prescription from a pharmacy;
- Impersonating a doctor or another medical professional to call in or pick up a prescription from a pharmacy; and
- Creating false prescriptions.
Drugs that are commonly sought through prescription fraud include morphine, oxycodone, and hydrocodone. Patients and medical professionals can be charged with prescription fraud.
Defense Against a Prescription Fraud Charge
Sometimes, a legitimate prescription is mistaken for attempted prescription fraud. This can happen when a doctor or another medical professional is charged with prescription fraud. For example, a doctor charged with writing a new prescription to a patient who already had a prescription for a specific controlled substance may prove that he or she did not know that the patient already received the drug and that he or she acted in good faith when writing the fraudulent prescription. In other cases, a valid defense may involve demonstrating that the search that turned up the drug was conducted illegally.
Contact Our Experienced Miami Prescription Fraud Lawyers
If you have been charged with prescription fraud, one of the experienced Miami criminal defense lawyers on our team can help you fight the charge. We are equipped to develop a customized legal defense strategy based on your unique circumstances. Do not wait – contact our team of Miami prescription fraud lawyers at Ratzan & Faccidomo, LLC today to schedule your initial consultation with us.
