can one be arrested for/

[Lily700]

Can a person be arrested for using 2 doctors who both write narcotic prescriptions- different drugs?

[MsQuickFix]

No, I don't believe so, especially if it is 2 different drugs. Hell my mother is on methadone, vicodin, moprhine and xanax- all from the same doctor!! Does one DR know about the other? and are you complaining of the same symptoms to both dr.'s or are the pain pills for different reasons?

[lifesaride]

it's called dr. shopping. if one finds out about the other....well it wont be pretty

[dominosarah]

Lifesaride said it all.          

[Lily700]

It is my dearest friend.  She had a car wreck about 6 months ago.  I believe the drs know eachother, I mean the GP sent her to the ortho.  One gives her 10/650 percocets (180/month) and the other 10/325 oxycodone (60 a month.  She goes to one for bodily pain and the other for back pain.  I am just afraid her insurance might report her and have her arrested.  Do you think she really needs this much medicine?  I am so concerned for her.  I read that it is illegal to do this, but that seems wrong too if one needs a specialist.  Any info or exerience would be helpful.  She is worried now too.

[liscamdave]

Well, if both drs know of each other, then she cannot really get into to much trouble. However, if they do not, it is considered dr. shopping and as a result, one or both of the drs. will not see her anymore and cut her off. And if the pharmacy steps in, well that's a new batch of problems. Please let your friend know, she needs to be careful..

[dominosarah]

Back pain is bodily pain.  I would fess up with the docs and maybe they could put their heads together and come up with a better plan for her.  Is she in alot of pain yet?  I cant answer if she needs these meds or not.  Only she can decide that.  I will say she needs to be aware that since she is doctor shopping trouble could be on the horizon.  We are here for you and your friend so keep posting              sara

[Lily700]

What can the pharmacy do?

[lisa650]

When my friend got caught doing that, the pharmacist called her in and told her to bring her pills so that he could count them, she eventually got kicked off pain mgmt, now she has to drive almost two hours every month to get her prescription for methadone, but at least she doesnt have to go every day. she had no legal repercussions only the stigma of being looked at as a dopefiend everytime she goes to see a doctor, because it is all on record.

[liscamdave]

Well, the past year alone the FDA has been cracking down on people who are dr.shopping and commiting prescription fraud. The pharmacy steps in when they think a person is getting to many scripts for narcotics. Usuaully, an addict or someone who is dr.shopping, gets a few different scripts a month for pain pills from diff dr.s Once a pharamy sees this, they notify the proper authorities. They can, and absolutley will press charges against you. So, if that is what she is doing, and she could be found guilty if they find out she is getting multiple scripts for pain pills from dr.s who are unaware of the other, she could do jail time or pay some hefty fine. Please tell her to be careful. Even if the scripts are for two different ailments, that won't matter if the dr.s don't know about each other and the scripts both are writing. So I would tell her to let them know and come up with a plan to both treat her or just one...Good luck..

[dominosarah]

Here where i live they are implementing a computer program that will show if people are doctor shopping and the same with the pharmacies.  We will all be in the computer system each and every time we go.  If you pay cash at the pharmacy that will show too. Some bigger clinics and hospitals are already trying it.  Hopefully this will take off and be a good thing.

[MsQuickFix]

Doesnt really matter about the pharmacy anymore when ordering pills over the internet is running rampid. Should be illegal, but people are doing it and becoming addicts & dying everyday.

[kitty_sacca]

Hi Lily-Don't know where you are, but here in California, all the pharmacies are required to submit all the rx info to the state.  And if the state decides there's been some kind of abuse they make a copy of your history with the different pharmacies and send them to each and every doctor that has prescribed for you.  So then they ALL know what you're doing, and let me tell you it's not so pretty.  That actually was part of the "final straw" so to speak that got me to quit.  I work for a doctor and had this recurring nightmare of getting one of these reports with MY name on it.  The last time we got one my heart about stopped beating because I thought it would have my name on it.  Instead, it was someone who had gone to every type of doctor in town and got as many pain pills he could get.  Over the course of 3 months he had obtained over 5000 pills.  Scary to say the least.  Sooooo, to answer your question, if you get enough, and live in certain states, the pharmacies will out you eventually.  It's not illegal to be getting the pills, but once the DEA is involved then many doctors are not going to want to prescribe for you.  Anyway, good luck to your friend.  Hope it all works out for her!!  

[Coolio Hernendez]

Yeah i agree the pharmacy is where it will all come undone......I would be pro-active with this..It is a good chance to make ggod with these doctors. Otherwise you will go on the junkie list.

[enemy48]

No, I don't think she is in any trouble.  As long as she tells each doctor who she sees, and what she is getting, nothing is her fault.

Before my surgery I was seeing a GP, then sent to PM, then to orthopedic, then to surgeon.  I was getting pills from all and writing it on my medical info and telling them.  Insurance was paying for it too.  Each was prescribing different pills.  That's their fault, not the patient.

[lady67]

when you go to the doctor, they are supposed to ask you at every visit what scripts you are taking.  if you are honest when you see each doctor they should have a record on what the you are taking.  If that is the case, and the doctors continue prescribing I don't think the patient should be held responsible.  Just my opinion.

[christos24]

at the peak of my disastrous evil addiction to heroin, oxys, or any other opiates I could get my hands on I was seeing over ten different doctors with them all writing different scripts for narcotics and other mood altering substances, alla t one time. I was going to every single pharmacy that was available in the milwaukee area(walgreens, CVS,target, walmart,all the local grocery chains and pharmacy as well, etc.). They all knew me by name and by the second year I was pretty much shunned from every place available. For seeing so many doctors you cant get arrested it is generally looked down upon and you will get a serious talking to from the hparmacist or doctor, which is definitely scary...you feel cornered and you get mustered and you dont know what to do...they tell you to get help and go to treatment, but you are in such denial while high on those drugs. usually I would doctor shop if I wasnt ablet o find Oxycontins or H, and get percocets or vicodins to help ease the withdrawals.during that time i was able to find a few good doctors I could work my "magic" with. one i gave her a speil that my chest, nexj, and abck hurt extremely bad after being really sick and i couldtn sleep or figure out where this pain came from. she ran some test and starte dme on tylenol 3's. I layed low for a week then asked tos tep it up cuz the pain was getting worse. she  oved it up to vicodin, but that wasnt good enough for me so i told her tylenol didnt sit well with me so she moved it to vicoprofen(7.5 mgs of hydrocodone). and then  after a few weeks later and many scripts later i told the painwas getting absolutely severe, so she decided to go to eprcocets, but like the vicodins i didnt take the tylenol well so she moved it to straight oxy instant release.  the best part was that they it was a free university clinic at school and they were old school with their prescriptions writing with ink on a pad, so eventually i got creative and isteead of 5 mg istanat release I put a 1 in front of it and changed it to 15 mgs. that worked for a while until I screwed up the one but was so desparate taht i tried it at walgreens and they caught me. they could have arrested me for forgery and gave me a felony,but they didnt but my wonder doctor was gone for good. I ran the scam for two years but all good thigns come to an end.  By the second year of doing this every clinic and hospital knew me and turned me down even if it was legit, it was terrible. thats when i knew I needed to get help and that I couldnt do it myself. i cant express how glad i am that i asked for help it saved my life, best of luck to you..and dont worry, having multiple doctors writing prescriptiosn wont get you arrested, but the pharmaccy could get suspicious..be careful

[roseczern]

I wanted to see just how easy it was to get meds over the internet.  I wanted to be one step up on the kids in my sons group.  I never once found a site that would send meds without a prescription.  Not sure how others were getting away with it, but I was no longer worried about my son.  I knew he did not have enough money to use an online Dr.
Really, I never found out how the kids at the HS got away with this.