Legal Question in Legal Ethics in California
My dad recently was in a county jail for a week. He was prescribed an eye medication that he was to take 2 times a day. When he arrived at the jail they told him he couldn't take them inside. Once inside he was sold a bottle of the medication for $12. The medication he was given has someone else's name and date of birth printed. It just doesn't seem right to me that he wouldn't be allowed to take his prescription medication and that he would be given someone else's medicine. Is this a normal practice in jails or is this not supposed to happen? I tried finding more information on the rules of prescription medication but have had no luck.
1 Answer from Attorneys
All the county jails in California that I am aware of have doctors and nurses on staff who examine the inmates and issue them medication for free. I can't tell from your question whether it was the jail or another inmate who sold the bottle of medicine to your Dad. If it was an inmate, it was an illegal transaction and you are best off forgetting about it.