QLD Driving whilst taking prescription medication

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Avery Ashley

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4 December 2019
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Hi,

I live in Brisbane and I've been recently diagnosed by a medical specialist as having ADD. Last appointment, he introduced potential medications which could prove effective in improving my quality of life such as Concerta or Adderal. Before I commit to making a decision, I would like to know whether I would be able to legally drive at all if I were to take this type of prescription medication.

Thanks a bunch.
 

Rob Legat - SBPL

Lawyer
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16 February 2017
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Gold Coast, Queensland
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In Queensland, the basic offence (as set out in the Transport Operations (Road Use Management) Act) is 'driving while under the influence' - which applies to both "liquor and other drugs".

At the moment, the police can randomly test for alcohol and certain non-prescription drugs. The drug tests are apparently sensitive enough to differentiate between prescription and non-prescription drugs. For example, one of the current tests is for methamphetamine which is a different, but related, chemical to the dexamphetamine in some ADD medications. I'm not aware of how accurate that claim is, however.

Regardless of whether a drug is prescribed or not, however, if you are considered to be 'under the influence' of the drug while driving you may be guilty of the offence.

Whether you are 'under the influence' of drugs is an arguable proposition, and differs from person to person based on the way it interacts with their body chemistry, other medication, dosage, and so on. While the police may not be able to test for the drug in your system, they will look for symptoms which indicate an impairment in your ability to operate the vehicle - drowsiness, slurred speech, co-ordination issues etc. It's not exact, and can be the result of any number of factors.

I suggest:

- Read these two sites: Drugs and driving and Driving under the influence of drugs
- Talk to your doctor to know what to look out for and how to monitor yourself.
 
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