What is Prescription Fraud?

As prescription medication addiction grows more prevalent each year, law enforcement agencies throughout the country are cracking down on all types of prescription drug abuse and fraud. 

Prescription fraud occurs when a person uses unlawful means to take, obtain, or attempt to take or obtain a controlled substance or a prescription for a controlled substance. (NRS 453.391) While most people begin taking prescription medications at the direction of a doctor for a specific medical purpose, many of these drugs are highly addictive.

Some of the most commonly abused prescription drugs include:

• Xanax
• Valium
• Ambien
• Oxycodone
• Codeine
• Demerol
• Ritalin
• Adderall

When their doctors stop writing prescriptions, the patients that have become addicted to these drugs must turn to illegal methods to obtain more medication.

Common Types of Prescription Fraud

One of the most common methods of illegally obtaining prescriptions is doctor shopping. Doctor shopping involves visiting numerous doctors at various offices and clinics to get more prescriptions. The patient visits the offices seeking treatment for a condition, but fails to tell each doctor that they have already received prescriptions from other physicians.

In addition to doctor shopping, prescription fraud includes:

• Stealing a physician’s pad and forging prescriptions
• Altering a legitimate prescription to increase the quantity
• Obtaining drugs by using a family member’s or friend’s prescription
• Illegally buying prescription drugs online
• Using computer programs to create fake prescriptions

Prescription fraud is a category C felony in the state of Nevada, so don’t wait to get strong defense if you have been charged! Check out the Prescription Fraud page on our website for more information or contact our attorneys at De Castroverde Law Group to discuss your case.