New York statute
N.Y. Penal Law § 178.00 — Criminal diversion of prescription medications and prescriptions; definitions
Current through 2026 legislative session (LBDC text via OpenLegislation as of 2026-07-17)
Part of Article 178: Criminal Diversion of Prescription Medications and Prescriptions, New York Penal Law.
Full text of N.Y. Penal Law § 178.00
Statutory text current through the 2026 legislative session (LBDC text via OpenLegislation as of 2026-07-17). This publication reproduces the text of the Consolidated Laws of New York as provided by the New York State Senate's Open Legislation service (Legislative Bill Drafting Commission statutory text); it is not the official statutes of the State of New York.
178.00 Criminal diversion of prescription medications and
prescriptions; definitions.
The following definitions are applicable to this article:
1. "Prescription medication or device" means any article for which a
prescription is required in order to be lawfully sold, delivered or
distributed by any person authorized by law to engage in the practice of
the profession of pharmacy.
2. "Prescription" means a direction or authorization by means of a
written prescription form or an oral prescription which permits a person
to lawfully obtain a prescription medication or device from any person
authorized to dispense such prescription medication or device.
3. "Criminal diversion act" means an act or acts in which a person
knowingly:
(a) transfers or delivers, in exchange for anything of pecuniary
value, a prescription medication or device with knowledge or reasonable
grounds to know that the recipient has no medical need for it; or
(b) receives, in exchange for anything of pecuniary value, a
prescription medication or device with knowledge or reasonable grounds
to know that the seller or transferor is not authorized by law to sell
or transfer such prescription medication or device; or
(c) transfers or delivers a prescription in exchange for anything of
pecuniary value; or
(d) receives a prescription in exchange for anything of pecuniary
value.
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Legal terms used in this section
This reference is informational and is not legal advice.