LE and prescription pain killers

[Accidental_CJ]

I'm not one of those people who've always wanted to be a cop. It was more of an accidental thing for me. Anyway, I was in a bad accident two years ago and I was prescribed percocet for a couple of months, but I continued to take it. Over-the-counter stuff just doesn't take the pain away. I don't get high from it. It's just for pain managment. Is that something that can be explained in the hiring process?

[Roger Dat]

Are you still taking it? How long after you were perscribed it did you continue to take it?

[Accidental_CJ]

Are you still taking it? How long after you were perscribed it did you continue to take it?

Yes, I'm still taking it. I've been trying to wean myself from it, and trying to reduce the dose gradually, but the pain is still there. I continued to take it after the accident because I was in college and it was impossible for me to sit through a class being in so much pain. I broke my back (along with several other fractures), and while the doctors tell me that everything has healed well and is fine, I just can't manage the pain.

[RoadDog1905]

Yes, that is a problem. It is a crime to take prescription medication without a prescription. You are actually committing a felony crime.

Have you considered that the 'pain' you feel is actually you going through withdraw from the drugs?

I know if you were applying to my agency you wouldn't be able to get into the department. I doubt most any department would allow you onto the job.

[Ispbear]

And you are obtaining the percocet how? I assume by illegal means since the doctor no longer prescribes them for you. How do you think that will look for any LE agency you apply for.
You need to find a different doctor to go to. Explain to them your accident and medical history and that you have continued to take percocet due to pain but you are now ADDICTED to the drug and need some help. He will give you any options available to him.

[Accidental_CJ]

I know if you were applying to my agency you wouldn't be able to get into the department. I doubt most any department would allow you onto the job.

Would that be because (1) I'm currently dependent on the medication?, or (2) because it was illegal to take them without a prescription?

In other words, if I had taken them for "only" a month after the prescription expired, and if I had been clean for almost two years, would they still not hire me because I committed a crime?

[cruzmisl]

Prescribed perc's OK for short duration (which is what they are designed for). Long term use like you're using them spells addiction.

Don't worry about it anyway. Wanting to be in law enforcement was an accident. At least this way you can start a career for what you really wanted to be.

[Accidental_CJ]

And you are obtaining the percocet how? I assume by illegal means since the doctor no longer prescribes them for you. How do you think that will look for any LE agency you apply for.

I went to different doctors for prescriptions and different pharmacies to fill them. But I couldn't use my insurance card, and that stuff is expensive. I was in school at the time, and I really couldn't afford to pay the list price for the meds. So I got them "elsewhere", which is much cheaper.

[Accidental_CJ]

Don't worry about it anyway. Wanting to be in law enforcement was an accident. At least this way you can start a career for what you really wanted to be.

There are two reasons why I called it "accidental":

(1) When I started college, I didn't really know what I wanted to be, so I was just going to take a variety of different classes. My freshman year, I missed registration and most of the classes I was interested in were already full. Pretty much the only classes that were left were religion and criminal justice. So I took a few CJ classes. Well, same thing my sophomore year. By the time I had to declare my major, I realized that most of my classes were in CJ, so that's what I went with for my B.A.

(2) The accident that caused me to take the percocet was a traffic accident. I was run over by some drunken a$$hole while crossing a crosswalk with two of my buddies, one of whom was killed. Yes, I'd love to work in traffic enforcement to get jerks like him off the road.

[Legoate]

First off, you have a serious medical issue that will likely disqualify you all by itself.

Secondly, you are taking a narcotic which is incompatible with police work.

Third- you have been illegally purchasing and using a controlled narcotic.

Out of all of them- number three shows a mindset that will not work with law enforcement. You have illegally purchased drugs. Plain and simple.

Find another line of work.

[Roger Dat]

Your behavior was irresponsible and criminal. If the doctor refused to give you meds there was a reason for it. If you felt the need to hide it from insurance then you knew you didnt really need the pills and would be scrutinized for it.

Get help for your addiction, maintain a clean lifestyle and find a new career path to pursue.

[Accidental_CJ]

Your behavior was irresponsible and criminal. If the doctor refused to give you meds there was a reason for it. If you felt the need to hide it from insurance then you knew you didnt really need the pills and would be scrutinized for it.

No, I did need the pills. It can't go through insurance because they only pay for a certain number of pills each month. If I try to fill two prescriptions at two different pharmacies in the same time period, it'll get flagged. It has nothing to do with my needing them. In fact, other doctors prescribed the pills, so apparently they felt it was appropriate.

[Citicop]

Getting hired as a police officer isn't going to change your medical or insurance situations...

Given that, do you intend to keep scoring pills illegally while you wear the uniform?

This is, of course, assuming that you manage to lie your way past the background (which you won't pass) and that the pain that keeps you hooked on the pills isn't going to interfere with the medical and physical portions of the process (which it likely will if it's as severe as you say).

Find a new line of work. This one is not for you on many levels.

Citicop.

[scott715us]

(1) Buying pain killers illegally = felony in many states
(2) On pain killers constantly = either suffering addiction or dayum close
(3) Driving on percocet in most cases = DUI

In the current scenario described, your chances are slim to none. There is always state corrections or security work.

[Legoate]

No, I did need the pills. It can't go through insurance because they only pay for a certain number of pills each month. If I try to fill two prescriptions at two different pharmacies in the same time period, it'll get flagged. It has nothing to do with my needing them. In fact, other doctors prescribed the pills, so apparently they felt it was appropriate.

Yeah, I'm sure you did need the medication- that is why it was prescribed. But there are reasons there is a limit on how much you can purchase a day/week/month.

You can try to justify it in any way you want. You started out doctor shopping so that you could get multiple prescriptions, then you worked the system by going to different pharmacies to fill them to keep from "getting flagged".

Then when that system became too difficult to navigate, you began purchasing them illegally in order to feed your addiction.

You are a prescription drug addict- Welcome to the club. There are a lot of them. Many doctors would rather write you a prescription and get you out of their officer rather than refuse and force you to get treatment. Many doctors are just prescription writing quacks who want to make a buck rather than actually treat a person- hence the difference between doctors that work at fly by night clinics as opposed to credentialed professionals who work for major medical facilities.

AND....AS WAS SAID BEFORE- You need to look for a different job. You aren't cut out to be a cop.