Meperidine - The Law

The Law

Meperidine is classified as a Schedule II controlled substance, which means that it is strictly regulated by both United States and international laws and agencies. In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) control the manufacture and distribution of meperidine. International control is coordinated by the International Narcotic Control Board (INCB).

A Schedule II drug is available by prescription only. It is illegal to write a prescription or an order for meperidine without a valid medical license. Medical doctors, osteopathic doctors, podiatrists, dentists, and veterinarians are the only professionals allowed to legally prescribe meperidine and other Schedule II drugs. Medical professionals who intentionally write multiple prescriptions for patients without a valid medical reason may end up in prison. It is an even more serious crime to write and fill phony prescriptions for profit.

Doctor Shopping and Other Illegal Methods

It is illegal for individuals to obtain prescriptions for meperidine and other opioids by lying about their symptoms. Another dishonest way that people try to get drugs for illegal use is by going to several different doctors within the same time period and receiving prescriptions from each of them. Then they pay cash to buy each prescription at a different pharmacy to avoid being tracked by pharmacy or insurance records. This practice has been given the name "doctor shopping." As of 2004, at least nineteen states had laws against doctor shopping. Prescription Monitoring Programs (PMPs) are used on a state-by-state basis to track this activity.

Sometimes people try to acquire Schedule II drugs illegally by stealing prescription pads from doctors' offices, or by printing up phony prescription forms. Then they use those to write false prescriptions with forged signatures. These tactics are rarely successful over the course of time. Pharmacists often verify the validity of prescriptions for opioids by contacting the doctor listed as the prescribing physician. Bogus prescriptions can be stopped at this point. Pharmacists are also among the first to notice high numbers of Schedule II prescriptions being written by particular doctors. One unintended effect of this kind of monitoring is that many doctors have become reluctant to prescribe enough effective medication for patients who experience chronic pain.