1. Except as otherwise provided in this section, a person who violates a provision of section 155A.23 or who sells or offers for sale, gives away, or administers to another person any prescription drug or device in violation of this chapter commits a public offense and shall be punished as follows:

 a. If the prescription drug is a controlled substance, the person shall be punished pursuant to section 124.401, subsection 1, and other provisions of chapter 124, subchapter IV.
 b. If the prescription drug is not a controlled substance, the person, upon conviction of a first offense, is guilty of a serious misdemeanor. For a second offense, or if in case of a first offense the offender previously has been convicted of any violation of the laws of the United States or of any state, territory, or district thereof relating to prescription drugs or devices, the offender is guilty of an aggravated misdemeanor. For a third or subsequent offense or if in the case of a second offense the offender previously has been convicted two or more times in the aggregate of any violation of the laws of the United States or of any state, territory, or district thereof relating to prescription drugs or devices, the offender is guilty of a class “D” felony.

Attorney's Note

Under the Iowa Code, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:
ClassPrisonFine
Class C felonyup to 10 yearsbetween $1,370 and $13,660
Class D felonyup to 5 yearsbetween $1,025 and $10,245
Aggravated misdemeanorup to 2 yearsbetween $855 and $8,540
Serious misdemeanorup to 1 yearbetween $430 and $2,560
For details, see Iowa Code902.9 and Iowa Code§ 903.1

Terms Used In Iowa Code 155A.24

  • Board: means the board of pharmacy. See Iowa Code 155A.3
  • Child: includes child by adoption. See Iowa Code 4.1
  • Controlled substance: means a drug substance, immediate precursor, or other substance listed in subchapter II of chapter 124. See Iowa Code 155A.3
  • Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
  • Device: means a medical device, as classified by the United States food and drug administration, intended for use by a patient that is required by the United States food and drug administration to be ordered or prescribed for a patient by a practitioner. See Iowa Code 155A.3
  • Distribute: means the delivery of a prescription drug or device. See Iowa Code 155A.3
  • drug: means a drug, as classified by the United States food and drug administration, that is required by the United States food and drug administration to be prescribed or administered to a patient by a practitioner prior to dispensation. See Iowa Code 155A.3
  • following: when used by way of reference to a chapter or other part of a statute mean the next preceding or next following chapter or other part. See Iowa Code 4.1
  • Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Label: means written, printed, or graphic matter on the immediate container of a drug or device. See Iowa Code 155A.3
  • Pedigree: means a recording of each distribution of any given drug or device, from the sale by the manufacturer through acquisition and sale by any wholesaler, pursuant to rules adopted by the board. See Iowa Code 155A.3
  • Person: means a natural person. See Iowa Code 154A.1
  • Pharmacy: means a location where prescription drugs are compounded, dispensed, or sold by a pharmacist and where prescription drug orders are received or processed in accordance with the pharmacy laws. See Iowa Code 155A.3
  • Practitioner: means a physician, dentist, podiatric physician, prescribing psychologist, veterinarian, optometrist, physician assistant, advanced registered nurse practitioner, or other person licensed or registered to prescribe, distribute, or dispense a prescription drug or device in the course of professional practice in this state or a person licensed by another state in a health field in which, under Iowa law, licensees in this state may legally prescribe drugs. See Iowa Code 155A.3
  • sell: means a transfer of title or of the right to use by lease, bailment, or any other means, but excludes a wholesale transaction with a distributor or hearing aid specialist, and excludes the temporary, charitable loan or educational loan of a hearing aid without remuneration. See Iowa Code 154A.1
  • State: means a state, territory, or possession of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. See Iowa Code 152E.3
  • United States: includes all the states. See Iowa Code 4.1
  • Wholesale distribution: means the distribution of a drug to a person other than a consumer or patient, or the receipt of a drug by a person other than a consumer or patient, but does not include any of the following:
     a. See Iowa Code 155A.3
 2. A person who violates any provision of this chapter by selling, giving away, or administering any prescription drug or device to a minor is guilty of a class “C” felony.
 3. A wholesaler who, with intent to defraud or deceive, fails to deliver to another person, when required by rules of the board, complete and accurate pedigree concerning a drug prior to transferring the drug to another person is guilty of a class “C” felony.
 4. A wholesaler who, with intent to defraud or deceive, fails to acquire, when required by rules of the board, complete and accurate pedigree concerning a drug prior to obtaining the drug from another person is guilty of a class “C” felony.
 5. A wholesaler who knowingly destroys, alters, conceals, or fails to maintain, as required by rules of the board, complete and accurate pedigree concerning any drug in the person’s possession is guilty of a class “C” felony.
 6. A wholesaler who is in possession of pedigree documents required by rules of the board, and who knowingly fails to authenticate the matters contained in the documents as required, and who nevertheless distributes or attempts to further distribute drugs is guilty of a class “C” felony.
 7. A wholesaler who, with intent to defraud or deceive, falsely swears or certifies that the person has authenticated any documents related to the wholesale distribution of drugs or devices is guilty of a class “C” felony.
 8. A wholesaler who knowingly forges, counterfeits, or falsely creates any pedigree, who falsely represents any factual matter contained in any pedigree, or who knowingly fails to record material information required to be recorded in a pedigree is guilty of a class “C” felony.
 9. A wholesaler who knowingly purchases or receives drugs or devices from a person not authorized to distribute drugs or devices in wholesale distribution is guilty of a class “C” felony.
 10. A wholesaler who knowingly sells, barters, brokers, or transfers a drug or device to a person not authorized to purchase the drug or device under the jurisdiction in which the person receives the drug or device in a wholesale distribution is guilty of a class “C” felony.
 11. A person who knowingly manufacturers, sells, or delivers, or who possesses with intent to sell or deliver, a counterfeit, misbranded, or adulterated drug or device is guilty of the following:

 a. If the person manufactures or produces a counterfeit, misbranded, or adulterated drug or device; or if the quantity of a counterfeit, misbranded, or adulterated drug or device being sold, delivered, or possessed with intent to sell or deliver exceeds one thousand units or dosages; or if the violation is a third or subsequent violation of this subsection, the person is guilty of a class “C” felony.
 b. If the quantity of a counterfeit, misbranded, or adulterated drug or device being sold, delivered, or possessed with intent to sell or deliver exceeds one hundred units or dosages but does not exceed one thousand units or dosages; or if the violation is a second or subsequent violation of this subsection, the person is guilty of a class “D” felony.
 c. All other violations of this subsection shall constitute an aggravated misdemeanor.
 12. A person who knowingly forges, counterfeits, or falsely creates any label for a drug or device or who falsely represents any factual matter contained on any label of a drug or device is guilty of a class “C” felony.
 13. A person who knowingly possesses, purchases, or brings into the state a counterfeit, misbranded, or adulterated drug or device is guilty of the following:

 a. If the quantity of a counterfeit, misbranded, or adulterated drug or device being possessed, purchased, or brought into the state exceeds one hundred units or dosages; or if the violation is a second or subsequent violation of this subsection, the person is guilty of a class “D” felony.
 b. All other violations of this subsection shall constitute an aggravated misdemeanor.
 14. This section does not prevent a licensed practitioner of medicine, dentistry, podiatry, nursing, psychology, veterinary medicine, optometry, or pharmacy from acts necessary in the ethical and legal performance of the practitioner’s profession.
 15. Subsections 1 and 2 shall not apply to a parent or legal guardian administering, in good faith, a prescription drug or device to a child of the parent or a child for whom the individual is designated a legal guardian.
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