Opioids Carring Pre-Filled Syringe in Purse

[Eva 33]

I am legally prescribed morphine injectable for IM use, due to a very severe chronic pain condition. My meds get my pain down to a level where I'm at least able to function at a basic level. I go to the grocery store, pharmacy, doctor's appointments, etc. On a good day, I try to get out for a little while and maybe socialize. I'm able to drive perfectly well with meds and have a very high tolerance. Without meds, I wouldn't be able to get out of bed.

Due to the nature of my pain, I have to carry a filled syringe with me in my purse. It's usually filled with one or two CC's of medication. I live in California. I also carry about 6 pills in a pill container in my purse.

I once asked my pain doc about this, and he told me not to worry, as I have a valid prescription. But I also hear the horror stories on the Internet about legal pain patients with legal scripts getting arrested or hassled by police.

I've never had any problems, but I don't go out much and I've never been stopped or searched by the cops. I don't want to feel like I can never leave the house just because I need to take my injectable meds with me. (I never know when an extremely severe 'attack' will come on).

Diabetics and others who take injectables face this same dilemma, so I wondered if anyone can offer any advice? Or maybe someone here is a heroin user and needs to carry their syringe with them at all times? I honestly have no judgments about that. I hate this stupid drug war.

I cannot carry the entire labeled injectable bottle with me in my purse. It's bulky and I don't want to carry my entire 2 months' worth of meds in my purse, in case it gets stolen. (I pre-fill the syringe for these same reasons and only carry a couple of doses with me at most).

I know that no legal questions are allowed. This is just a 'common sense' sort of question and I really don't know where else to post it. (I'm not sure what I'd do if getting on an airplane, although I have carried med bottle and syringes on planes in the past. I don't travel much anymore, though). IF I were getting on a plane, I guess I'd take the whole med bottle with me, but I'd still need to have a pre-filled syringe so I don't take forever in the bathroom).

This question is more about 'everyday' life and needing to carry my legal meds in my purse.

Any advice re: carrying a pre-filled syringe on one's person? (I always keep it in my purse). I suppose I could carry the paper prescription receipt with me, but I don't know if that would look worse, given that the med is morphine? My pain doc tells me not to worry, but could I possibly get into any trouble for carrying a pre-filled syringe in my purse? (Again, it's really not a legal question. Just a question about the proper way to carry legit controlled meds on ones' person.) I'm trying to be as careful as possible so I thought I'd ask here.

Any advice or suggestions as to how to handle this matter are greatly appreciated, thanks.

 

[EP158207]

Carry on with what you are doing, but make sure you have your prescription, or the label or SOMETHING that proves that you have been given these meds for a medical reason. I really dont see why it would be a problem if you can prove that you are legally entitled to these medications. If you want to have a bit more peace of mind then why not ask the Dr who prescribed them to write out a note for you saything that these are meds that are vital for you to live a normal life.

 

[sekio]

It's a liability. Someone could steal it, you could lose it, a little kid could get a hold of it and prick his finger. A pre-prepared shot of morphine is like... leaving out an unwrapped Mars Bar in the middle of a dark room in a chocoholics convention. It's going to get taken or lost sooner or later, as soon as someone without any morals realizes you have it. Or it will fall out your purse at an inconvenient time.

Please reconsider. I hope you keep the syringe capped, in a sharp-safe container, and never let it out of your sight.

 

[BlueIV]

I need to take something with me everywhere I go, as there is the risk of dying if I don't get it ASAP. I worry a bit too, as I don't even have a prescription for it. It's ridiculously expensive, and the clinic gives it to me. It wouldn't be controlled the way morphine is though.

For traveling, you should have a letter. I have that, but I don't want to carry it with me everywhere I go. The biggest issue is actually the ice packs - it needs to be kept under a certain temperature. Mine isn't prefilled, I have to mix it up, as it only lasts for so long once mixed. I use one of those pretty insulated lunch bags. I carry the syringes, needles, bandaids, alcohol wipes, etc in there. If I was traveling, I would need more doses, so it would be less of a hassles to stick in the letter, as I would have more than just the lunch bag's worth.

 

[Hammilton]

You do not have a risk of dying if you don't get your morphine injection right when you 'need' it. It's a pain med, ffs, not an epi pen.

Edit: are you talking about something else? Insulin?

 

[Harrisment]

You do not have a risk of dying if you don't get your morphine injection right when you 'need' it. It's a pain med, ffs, not an epi pen.

Edit: are you talking about something else? Insulin?

Yeah, BlueIV said she is referring to something other than morphine.

 

[sailor bugg]

I'd say keep if you must carry around a pre made shot (I wouldn't, that's just asking for trouble, or to be hassled at the very least) at least have a doctors note in whatever you carry your shot in, so they're with each other. If not that take a receipt for the script around with you.

 

[BlueIV]

You do not have a risk of dying if you don't get your morphine injection right when you 'need' it. It's a pain med, ffs, not an epi pen.

Edit: are you talking about something else? Insulin?

I'm talking about a plasma product. I also carry 2 epi pens with me for what it's worth, but my plasma product is the more important life-saving drug for me. If I'm not eating, I probably won't need an epi-pen. I could have an attack due to my blood disorder, whenever, with whatever I'm doing.

 

[Carl Landrover]

I was prescribed suboxone and when I got arrested for having four 30mg oxycodone pills and a piece of a suboxone pill I was charged with possession and with failure to keep prescription medicine in appropriate container or something like that. The second charge was because I had the suboxone in a bag, not in a bottle or in a way a doctor would give it to you. My prescription bottle even said to split the pill in half because I was only on 1mg a day at the time, which is why there was a piece of one. It was also why I had it in a bag since some powder would usually be created when it was split. It was actually a felony charge. Fortunately it got dropped

 

[The Doc.]

I got hassled a bit with my prescription of painkillers before cause i had it in a pill crusher instead of the pill bottle it came in along with a straw almost right next to it but eventually all that came was a lecture about the slippery slope I was on cause they realised I had a prescription and couldn't do you too much. I had a bottle with my name on it in the truck for the same medication luckily but maybe in Canada they are not as strict they just seem to care that your supposed to have the pills not what they are in so much

 

[sekio]

Carrying morphine is different than carrying clotting factors or whatever. You won't bleed to death if you don't get your morphine shot.

OP says at the beginning of her post that she's talking about carrying a shot of morphine around. It's just too much of a liability.

 

[cosmicjive]

My two cents...

I used to be in a situation similar to yours. I won't bore you with the details, but what I will say is that whether or not you have a legal Rx you can get a DUI if you are driving around carrying/taking narcotic pain killers. You mentioned that you drive "fine" on your meds (and, frankly, I don't doubt it since you've been on them for a long time); however, if you ever got pulled over with an injectable opiate, I have a feeling you would get served with a serious DUI, despite the fact that you have a valid Rx. It's totally up to the cop's discretion and, sadly, cops aren't too sympathetic when it comes to pain meds these days (which is no fault of yours or the people who use them as prescribed). So just be really careful; particularly since you are prefilling the syringe and it's not sealed. I used to get a sealed a product which made me feel a little safer because I could prove I hadn't actually used it. If I had to use it while out, I would be feeling yucky enough that I would probably just have to go home anyway, lessening the possibility of getting pulled over with an unsealed syringe. Have you asked your PM doc about a sealed product? It's basically like an epi-pen but filled with however many cc's of morphine or hydromorphone.

Of course, this doesn't cover the other liabilities...like someone stealing it or a child getting a hold of it, but I am less worried about that (since it sounds as though are very careful).

 

[BlueIV]

Carrying morphine is different than carrying clotting factors or whatever. You won't bleed to death if you don't get your morphine shot.

OP says at the beginning of her post that she's talking about carrying a shot of morphine around. It's just too much of a liability.

The OP also stated:
Diabetics and others who take injectables face this same dilemma, so I wondered if anyone can offer any advice?

I thought that meant it was ok for me to contribute here. When I did, I was questioned about my post, so I explained.
Is there a rule about which drugs can be discussed here? It seems like I'm getting a fair bit of flack any time I post about my med.