Why you shouldn’t share prescription medication
It’s Illegal
It doesn’t matter if the medication belongs to a family member or a friend who acquired it legally, taking someone else’s prescription is a crime, and there may be legal, professional, or education consequences.
Why does it matter so much?
Personal medical history matters! You should only ever take medication prescribed to you by a doctor. The types of medication and dosage a doctor may prescribe will be based on an individual’s age, size, and medical history. Without weighing these factors, medication can be dangerous or even deadly.
Side Effects, Allergies, & Interactions
Medications, though designed to help, may have side-effects that will affect each individual a bit differently. This only gets more complicated when a person is taking more than one medication at a time. Doctors monitor these factors for their patients, and when someone takes a prescription that doesn’t belong to them, there is one less safeguard to protect them.
Fake and Counterfeit Medication
There is an alarming amount of counterfeit medication available from unregulated sources. These counterfeit pills look nearly identical to the real thing, but may be mixed with deadly substances such as fentanyl. Licensed pharmacies are highly regulated to ensure that the medication you receive is legitimate.
Additional Resources
Medicines: To Share or Not to Share
The Dangers of Sharing Medicine
Prescription Medication Sharing: A Systematic Review of the Literature
