Prescription forgery is the act of illegally altering or creating a prescription to obtain medication. This can involve changing the details on a legitimate prescription or writing a completely fake one. The goal is often to acquire controlled substances for personal use or to sell them illegally. This crime poses significant risks to public health and safety, as it can lead to misuse of medications and contribute to drug abuse. Law enforcement and healthcare professionals work together to detect and prevent prescription forgery through various measures, including monitoring prescription patterns and verifying prescriptions with pharmacies.