Pharmacy delivery is nothing new under the sun. In fact, it was once quite common for medicines to be ordered over the phone and hand-delivered to the customer. The delivery people were rarely adults, but young kids looking to earn a few pennies. It was not until the late twentieth century that pharmaceutical drugs were no longer delivered by children, but by adults only.

Now, there are also limitations on which drugs may be delivered to your home. This is due to the many legal implications and illegal activity surrounding several medications:

Schedule II Drugs

There is a long list of Schedule II drugs, drugs which the federal government prohibits from moving freely through the community. Because of the rules and regulations governing these medications, your doctor cannot fax or email a script to the pharmacy. If you take a Schedule II medication, you cannot get home delivery either.

For example, the stimulant, methylphenidate, which is used to treat ADHD, is one such medication. Most of the medications on this list are opiates, like codeine and oxycodone, while several others are opioids, stimulants and a handful of powerful depressants and precursors.

Reasons Why Your Schedule II Drugs Cannot Be Delivered

Schedule II medications are drugs which are highly addictive and which can drastically alter a person's behavior, mood, or perception of physical sensations. People who abuse these drugs often end up in drug rehab programs, costing the government an excessive amount of money to help these people become sober and responsible individuals.

To prevent their abuse and their sale on the street, there are very tight restrictions in place to keep these medicines in the hands of those who need them and out of the hands of those who do not.

Exceptions to the Rules

The only federally allowed exceptions to these rules apply to CBRF's and assisted living facilities. If you live in a community group home or elderly assisted living facility, you may still receive your Schedule II medications via pharmacy delivery, but your group home staff has to sign for them and check them in to verify that the amounts and number of pills are correct.

There are also several rules and regulations regarding disposal of such medications. Often, the pills have to return to the pharmacy or they must be dropped at the local police station for their drug destruction program.

What This Means for You

Every time you are prescribed a Schedule II medication, you will not only need to take the prescription sheet directly from the doctor to the pharmacy, but you will also have to pick the medication up in person. Unless you are the guardian of someone who takes the medication, as in a parent-child relationship, no one else can pick the medication up for you either.

If you forget your medication in the car, be sure to retrieve it before any minors or other adults drive your vehicle. In the event that a police officer was to pull your other family members over, they could be arrested for having your Schedule II pills in the car with them.