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What is the law on forced medication?

As in being forced psycotropic medication. If so, what is the law on this? I have done some reading on the internet but never found any yes or no answers. All I found were law suits trying to force medicate or people suing for being forced medicated.

When I was in the hospital I had to sign a paper saying I had a right to refuse medications but my dr said that if I did not comply with medications that I would be commited and not be allowed visitors (which is also my right to have visitors)

I would only like answers from mental health workers or advocates of mentally ill people. In other words SERIOUS answers only!

Point gamers, rude people, and obnoxious answers will get a thumbs down or be reported. Thank you.

3 Answers

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  • 1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    Gee, I was planning on being rude and obnoxious just to get points, but you kind of put the kibosh on that plan.

    People can only be medicated against their will under a few conditions:

    1) Minors can be forced to undergo medical treatment or forced to take medications with the consent of their parents or legal guardian.

    2) Mentally Incompetent persons can be forced to undergo medical treatment or be forced to take medications at the direction of their legal guardian.

    3) Court Order - A court can order you to undergo medical treatment or take medications against your will.

    This last one has some requirements that go along with it, of course. If not taking your medication means that you pose a threat to yourself or others, then it can be ordered by the court. It can also be ordered as a condition of a criminal sentence against you if the judge feels that your crimes are the result of a failure to take your medications. There are many inmates who are under court order to take "hot meds", however, merely being convicted of a crime is not reason enough.

    Your doctor gave you a rather simplified response. If you refused to take your medications, the doctor would not automatically have legal authority to force you to take them. Your doctor would first have to contact the court and assert that you posed a threat to yourself or others if you did not take your medication. He would need to have the judge agree with him and issue a court order to that effect. If you disputed his claim, the judge may have asked for an evaluation by another doctor who would have to agree with the assessment of the first doctor before the judge would allow the court order to stand.

  • 5 years ago

    i think of it fairly is terrible. Now human beings would be afraid to flow to a doctor to chat approximately psychological issues, for concern that they are going to be compelled to take drugs. So now they wont get the help that they actually want. What a stupid regulation. until, you have something serious, like schizophrenia, then in line with possibility those human beings must be compelled to take drugs, yet there are various different psychological ailments, that don't need MEDS to treatment.

  • 6 years ago

    i was forced 2 take 6 monthly shots and i'm dying from it.I got over 50 deadly side effects. they won't stop medicating until I get a job but i've been bed ridden for over a year from the invega shots. this is worse than hitler or any other torture out there. Beetown, WI

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