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Sharing, abusing prescription meds is illegal

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. John Gordinier
  • 20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. --  An Airman has a pounding headache while working at his desk.

He announces his distress to coworkers and one offers him some 800 milligram prescribed Motrin to relieve his pain.

The Airman accepts and pops open the bottle. He drops a few pills in his hand and within an hour, the headache subsides.

This scenario is all too familiar in the Air Force. It seems innocent enough, but according to Lt. Col. Leslie Knight, 20th Medical Group deputy commander and chief of medical staff, accepting or offering any prescription medication is against Air Force standards.

In fact, according to Maj. Timothy Simmons, 20th Security Forces Squadron commander, an individual could face an Article 15, court martial and separation from service, if he or she used prescribed medication that is not for them or is expired, or shared prescribed medication to others. Servicemembers could also lose access to classified information and have a permanent criminal record.

"From what I've seen there are two different categories for Airmen who abuse prescription drugs: the completely innocent and the nefarious," explained Colonel Knight.

The completely innocent is like the situation above where an Airman at work has a headache and asks his buddy if he has some Motrin and his buddy says, "Sure I have some my doctor gave me," she added.

"Although this may seem innocent, it is completely not allowed in the Air Force," Colonel Knight added. "An Airman cannot take anyone else's prescribed medication no matter the simplicity of the prescription and an Airman cannot share his medicine if it was prescribed to him. You can share over-the-counter medication, but never prescribed medication, no matter the simplicity."

The nefarious Airmen are those who want to have the side effect of the medicines such as Narcotics or Ritalin, she said. Narcotics are used to relieve pain, but the side effect can make you feel a little high and, of course, there are people who like that effect. Some Airmen buy or sell prescription narcotics for that reason, which is completely illegal.

Not only is sharing or abusing prescription medication illegal, it is very dangerous.

"There are dangers in taking medication that is not prescribed to you," Colonel Knight said. "If an Airman goes to the doctor, the doctor knows the Airman's medical history, other medications the Airman is taking and allergies. If an Airman takes prescription drugs from a friend, the friend does not know those things at all. You could get a medicine that interacts badly or the medication could have a side effect you may not expect such as drowsiness, which is not good if you operate heavy machinery at work."

If an Airman has a headache and requests some medication from another Airman, make sure the medication is over-the-counter and not prescription medication because if caught, the Airman could face criminal charges or endanger his life.