I did not know this was news to anybody. “This guy I know” has prescriptions for both migraines and panic attacks and since this particular guy doesn’t know when a migraine or a panic attack may hit, he keeps some of his highly regulated pills stashed in his truck and his home and his brothers’ house where he spends a good bit of time. He knows full well it is illegal, but he also knows what migraines and panic attacks are like so he takes the risk.
We have a family member who is regularly hospitalized for psychiatric problems, and is on several psychoactive medications. When this individual comes home on a pass, the staff usually packages the exact number of pills in small envelopes or plastic bags. Didn’t know this was illegal.
[…] rounded up a few links on how Pill Boxes are technically illegal in many places (and when crossing the boarding) when used to carry prescription […]
Over policed and under protected. The article leaves no doubt that only a jackass could have designed the law and a herd of them passed it. They criminalize behavior of 2% of us and the other 98% have to accept the consequences. “Officer discretion” is a hilarious term.
Wonderful law. I take several prescription medications. I feel lucky that I have made it past TSA and never been pulled over while illegally carrying medicine out of its original packaging.
Of course, you do realise that the products are testing for shelf-life in the original packaging? Removing a tablet (for example) from its original packaging may mean that it will last less than a couple of days… Some products are moisture sensitive – like aspirin – and can degrade quickly. So it’s a good idea to use the original packaging – but not criminalise it…
It would be nice if the pharmacies would give us a choice of getting two bottles with the pills, the large one for the bulk and a small pocket sized, labeled one, to carry.
As a physician, I have treated any number of individuals who are so called “addicted”. After 40 years in the business, I can assure you that the concept as you might know it really does not exist. In fact, I see more problems with our drug laws and drug wars than are being solved. It is time to do away with these laws. Many countries have done just that and not suffered in any way, in fact, they have reduced problems. The US is not a free country, we have very few options when the government holds our health in their hands.
If you need to carry a small emergency supply, you can buy small plastic bottles, large enough for just a few pills, with tops that screw on securely. I’m pretty sure these offer better protection against moisture, liquids, and crushing than the usual pill bottles provided by the pharmacy. I have one of these that comes with a short chain and link so that it can be attached to a key chain.
Sorry guys, over here in the Uk/EU, most tablets & capsules are packed in blister strips. I can cut (scissors) a couple of blisters from a strip & take them with me. The UK regulations require the product name & strength to be printed over the blister pockets, so that the product is readily identifable even with a couple of blisters cut off the strip. No need to open the original pack. I understand that the FDA doesn’t consider blister packs child proof – whereas the traditional bottle is… Colin
My guess is that before this law, the police would arrest someone for distribution because they had vicodin in their pocket.
The person would say, I’m not selling these are mine. If they had a prescription bottle at home, case would be dismissed.
Now they can charge the person with carrying the pills without the bottle. Problem solved. Now the jury is told that the person is obviously breaking one law, it makes them easier to convince the person is breaking others too.
it gets better. Though the text of the article states the law doesn’t apply to over the counter medication, many thing are available both over the counter and as prescription drugs. Think Aleve (Naproxen), Diclofenac, and other medium strength painkillers. I may thus have an OOC pill in my pocket and still get arrested for illegal possession of a controlled substance because the pill could have been prescribed.
Ths is not a new law. My recollection is that during my adult life, it has always been illegal to carry prescription drugs w/o the ‘prescription’ (labelled bottle).
Second:
“As a physician, I have treated any number of individuals who are so called “addicted”. After 40 years in the business, I can assure you that the concept as you might know it really does not exist”
Does anyone else besides me believe that drug addiction does actually exist?
15 Comments
[…] “Your seven-day pill box is illegal” […]
I did not know this was news to anybody. “This guy I know” has prescriptions for both migraines and panic attacks and since this particular guy doesn’t know when a migraine or a panic attack may hit, he keeps some of his highly regulated pills stashed in his truck and his home and his brothers’ house where he spends a good bit of time. He knows full well it is illegal, but he also knows what migraines and panic attacks are like so he takes the risk.
bububububub druuuuuuuuugs
We have a family member who is regularly hospitalized for psychiatric problems, and is on several psychoactive medications. When this individual comes home on a pass, the staff usually packages the exact number of pills in small envelopes or plastic bags. Didn’t know this was illegal.
[…] rounded up a few links on how Pill Boxes are technically illegal in many places (and when crossing the boarding) when used to carry prescription […]
Over policed and under protected. The article leaves no doubt that only a jackass could have designed the law and a herd of them passed it. They criminalize behavior of 2% of us and the other 98% have to accept the consequences. “Officer discretion” is a hilarious term.
Wonderful law. I take several prescription medications. I feel lucky that I have made it past TSA and never been pulled over while illegally carrying medicine out of its original packaging.
Of course, you do realise that the products are testing for shelf-life in the original packaging?
Removing a tablet (for example) from its original packaging may mean that it will last less than a couple of days…
Some products are moisture sensitive – like aspirin – and can degrade quickly.
So it’s a good idea to use the original packaging – but not criminalise it…
It would be nice if the pharmacies would give us a choice of getting two bottles with the pills, the large one for the bulk and a small pocket sized, labeled one, to carry.
As a physician, I have treated any number of individuals who are so called “addicted”. After 40 years in the business, I can assure you that the concept as you might know it really does not exist. In fact, I see more problems with our drug laws and drug wars than are being solved. It is time to do away with these laws. Many countries have done just that and not suffered in any way, in fact, they have reduced problems. The US is not a free country, we have very few options when the government holds our health in their hands.
If you need to carry a small emergency supply, you can buy small plastic bottles, large enough for just a few pills, with tops that screw on securely. I’m pretty sure these offer better protection against moisture, liquids, and crushing than the usual pill bottles provided by the pharmacy. I have one of these that comes with a short chain and link so that it can be attached to a key chain.
Sorry guys, over here in the Uk/EU, most tablets & capsules are packed in blister strips. I can cut (scissors) a couple of blisters from a strip & take them with me.
The UK regulations require the product name & strength to be printed over the blister pockets, so that the product is readily identifable even with a couple of blisters cut off the strip.
No need to open the original pack. I understand that the FDA doesn’t consider blister packs child proof – whereas the traditional bottle is…
Colin
My guess is that before this law, the police would arrest someone for distribution because they had vicodin in their pocket.
The person would say, I’m not selling these are mine. If they had a prescription bottle at home, case would be dismissed.
Now they can charge the person with carrying the pills without the bottle. Problem solved. Now the jury is told that the person is obviously breaking one law, it makes them easier to convince the person is breaking others too.
In Marketing, this is called bundling.
it gets better. Though the text of the article states the law doesn’t apply to over the counter medication, many thing are available both over the counter and as prescription drugs. Think Aleve (Naproxen), Diclofenac, and other medium strength painkillers.
I may thus have an OOC pill in my pocket and still get arrested for illegal possession of a controlled substance because the pill could have been prescribed.
Two things:
Ths is not a new law. My recollection is that during my adult life, it has always been illegal to carry prescription drugs w/o the ‘prescription’ (labelled bottle).
Second:
“As a physician, I have treated any number of individuals who are so called “addicted”. After 40 years in the business, I can assure you that the concept as you might know it really does not exist”
Does anyone else besides me believe that drug addiction does actually exist?