What are Legend Drugs?

If you are on the prescription drug spectrum, whether as a medical professional, user, addict, or patient, you may have heard of the term, legend drugs. Continue reading to learn what you need to know about such drugs, including how to avoid the maximum penalties for prescription drug charges in Indiana.

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Indianapolis Prescription Drug Lawyer 317-636-7514

Legend Drugs and the Law

Legend drugs, simply known better as prescription drugs, can be both controlled narcotic substances and non-narcotic drugs. They are drugs that are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for dispersal to the public. However, both state and federal law require legend drugs to be dispensed only with a prescription from a licensed physician or other licensed provider.

Aside from medical practitioners, such drugs can be authorized by veterinarians, dentists, optometrists, and other licensed medical professionals. Nurses, medical assistants, midwives, emergency medical technicians, social workers, and even psychologists are not legally authorized to write prescriptions or disperse such drugs.

Prescription Drug Charges

Here in Indiana, it is against the law to a) forge prescriptions, b) write prescriptions as a medical professional to a patient that does not require them, c) write prescriptions as a non-authorized medical professional, possess controlled narcotics without a prescription, and sale, distribute, and transport controlled narcotics. Check out the levels of punishment for some of the most common prescription drug crimes, below. These are without enhancements and priors.

? Possession:

Class A Misdemeanor
0 Months to 1 Year in an Indiana County Jail Facility.
Probation up to 1 Year.
Fine up to $5,000 – Not including court costs and probation fees.

? Fraud:

Level 6 Felony
Minimum of 6 Months – Average 1 Year – Max 2 ½ Years in Prison.
Probation up to 2 ½ Years.
Fine up to $10,000 – Not including court costs and probation fees.

? Dealing (Less than 5 grams):

Level 4 Felony
Minimum of 2 Years – Average 6 Years – Max 12 Years in Prison.

? Dealing (5 – 10 grams):

Level 3 Felony
Minimum of 3 Years – Average 9 Years – Max 16 Years in Prison.

? Dealing (Over 10 grams):

Level 2 Felony
Minimum of 10 Years – Average 17 ½ Years – Max 30 Years in Prison.

*Additional penalties may be applied to all of the above sentences, including drug and alcohol education, impact panels, community service, ankle monitors, ignition interlock devices, and more.

Criminal Defense for Drug Crimes in Indiana

Sadly, Indiana does not see drug addiction and usage as a health epidemic, but rather a crime, which means there will always be a need for a hard-hitting criminal defense drug crime lawyer. If you have been recently arrested for prescription drug possession or trafficking, you need an aggressive criminal defense lawyer on your side.

Indiana Criminal Defense You Can Trust

Call 317-636-7514 to schedule a consultation with aggressive Indiana prescription drug crime lawyer, David E. Lewis. He will stop at nothing to protect your rights and preserve your freedoms. With decades of hands-on experience, you can trust Attorney David E. Lewis to build you a strong and impactful defense against your criminal charges. Call 317-636-7514 to schedule a free initial consultation for Indianapolis criminal defense, today.