Using illegal drugs is obviously a problem if you want to obtain a security clearance… just check out the DOHA cases we review every month on ClearanceJobsBlog(dot)com and News(dot)ClearanceJobs(dot)com. What we see more confusion surrounding is prescription use (+ abuse). Sean Bigley and Lindy Kyzer report on the topic.
For clearance purposes, prescription drug misuse generally means using a medication in a way other than prescribed by a licensed medical professional.
Examples include:
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Using without a prescription: Taking a prescription drug that wasn’t prescribed to you (e.g., using a friend’s painkillers).
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Taking more than prescribed: Exceeding the prescribed dosage or frequency, even if the medication is yours.
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Using for non-medical reasons: Taking a prescription drug to get high, stay awake, or enhance performance, rather than to treat the medical condition it was prescribed for.
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Doctor shopping or falsifying prescriptions: Getting multiple prescriptions from different doctors or altering a prescription.
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Using expired or leftover meds outside medical direction: Continuing to use a drug after your treatment ended or against medical advice.
Prescription drug misuse can raise concerns under Guideline H: Drug Involvement of the adjudicative guidelines (and potentially personal conduct if you lie about it).
All in all, taking your prescribed meds as directed is fine. Any use outside of medical guidance, even just “borrowing” someone else’s pill, can count as misuse and may need to be disclosed. If misuse happened, it’s usually best to be honest and demonstrate accountability rather than conceal it.
