doctor shopping

I live in Louisiana.  I am an addict.  I forged many scrips 3 years ago in TX, got caught, and moved to Louisiana.  I am on probation.

While in Louisiana, I found two doctors that will write me lortab scripts.  I see one of the doctors every two months, and he writes me either 20 or 40 lortabs.  I never go see him early - I just call for an appt every 6 -8 weeks or so, go in, get a steriod shot, and my lortab script.  This script should in theory last only about 4 - 7 days, as he writes them every 4 hours as needed.  

The other doctor writes me about 30 per month.  Two per day as needed, so in theory this script should last 15 days.  I have been doing this for about 6 months, and recently, I let the script from doc 1 overlap the script for doc 2.  It has only happened once in six months.

What are my chances of getting the dreaded police visit?

[IBKleen]

You are already on probation for the very same thing. You know what your chances are.

Do you want to get clean?

[doctorshopper]

Yes, I want to get clean.  I am not on probation for the exact same thing, and I'm not trying to parse words here.  My questions at this time is "what are my chances of getting caught" by the prescription monitoring program.  The first time, I actually forged scripts.  This time, all the scripts were called in by a doctor.  Please don't misunderstand me, I'm not trying to say I did something "less wrong".  I know what the answer to that is.  I'm just wondering strictly about getting caught before getting clean.

[avisg]

I agree with IBK 100% are you ready to get clean

[doctorshopper]

yes, i am.

[IBKleen]

The laws are different in every state. Most likely they will catch you and ban you from the doctor and the pharmacy. they may black ball you from getting any narcotic in the state again.

So, what all are you taking now?

[avisg]

yes if the state has a data base there the is a good chance you will get caught if not it might take some  time for them to catch up but there is a good chance they will .
They are not having you take drug tests for probabtion ?do they know you have left the state? .

[doctorshopper]

not taking anything now.  no withdrawals, etc.  Last script I got was 30 on July 1, ran through those in about 3 days.  Because I've only been getting a limited number, I have not had to deal with the withdrawals like back when I forged tons of scrips/bought off the street, and took 30 or so a day.  My routine has been go to the doc, get my 30 or so, take them over a 3 or so do period, then take nothing for the rest of the month until I can go again.  In any 30 day period, I've had access to the drugs either 3 or 6 days (6 days on the months that I go to "doc #2", which again, I see only every other month.  

[dominosarah]

Minnesota would of already caught you.  Please get into some type of recovery care and stop the insanity.  It is much easier to quit on your own than "having" to quit cuz you got caught and you will get caught........sara

[doctorshopper]

yes, they know I"ve left he state.  I am on prob in LA for a TX charge.  I've always been careful to never take anything 3-5 days before I go see my prob officer, so that's never been an issue.

[avisg]

I will tell you this you are far better off if you do get cought if you are clean and in a progarm then if they catch you and you are still useing

[dominosarah]

All we can do is warn you of the dangers and try and help you get off the pills.  You know you are playing a dangerous game here and hopefully you will decide that it isnt worth it.

[doctorshopper]

That's what I was thinking, avisg.  I read a post from a nurse from Louisiana on this board that said they caught up with her about a year after the offense.  I'm thinking if I never use again, have become very active in my NA group, etc, but the time it is time to face the music, it should go easier on me.  Just a thought.

[fedup710]

you would have already got caught in Washington also.  If you already are able to go most os the month without them, this would be a great time to just stop.  

[IBKleen]

I hope you are not doing this just so it looks good if they nab you. That would be a real shame.

[doctorshopper]

Not sure if you're an addict, but if you are, then you know no one would choose this.  I've got to figure out how to COMPLETELY STOP this unmanagibility.  Watching the calender until the "next time", etc.  I couldn't even do "legit" scripts right - letting them overlap.  I couldn't do it because I am an addict.  Granted, it was better than losing a family and business to spending so much money on street drugs daily, but unmanagability is unmanagabilty.

[IBKleen]

Yes, I earned my seat here.

Aside from the scripts, are you buying? Sorry, I didn't catch that if you mentioned it.

[dominosarah]

You have it in you to get and stay clean...it is right in front of you.  You dont have to be a prisoner anymore to these pills.  Cancel your appointments to the doctors and head to a meeting instead......

[avisg]

IBK is in recovery from one of the most addictive drugs there are

[doctorshopper]

This is going to be a long 6 months.  I read an arrest report today from a lady in my home town that was arrested for doctor shopping (arrest reports are published on line here, and I check them frequently to see how many people are getting busted for this - it's very rare - only about 2 in the last year).

Anyway, according to the arrest report, an investigation was begun on her in February 2010.  The period in question was from September 2009 - February 2010.  She was arrested yesterday on 17 counts.  Thats almost 6 months after the investigation began.

During the last 6 months (that time frame that I've been seeing two docs),  I have had 11 total scrips written.  Only one overlapped, and it was for about 6 days.  

Again, I'm NOT trying to say I've done nothing wrong.  I am an addict and I know this.  I'm just trying to shed light on what my current plight is.

[dominosarah]

IBK has earned a padded seat here.  She has a wealth of knowledge as she has been there done that.  Listen to what she has to say........

[doctorshopper]

no, not buying.  don't get me wrong, if I had a source I prolly would.  But to date, other than what I've mentioned, that's all I've taken.

[Htownnofrown]

From the language you are using it sounds like you know about NA and have been before. If that is the case then you know what to do, you just have to get willing to do it.

[avisg]

yes but you have to remember you are on probation they have all your info already your going to flag faster .do you have to give them your id every time you fill a controlled substance .

[IBKleen]

Gotta tell you, that is great news. You are not taking enough to really feel any horrible withdrawal. I think it will be mostly mental with you. I am not discounting that at all. The mental part of this disease kicks my butt near every day.

How do you feel about joining a support group, other than this one I mean?

[doctorshopper]

Yes, I have to give them an id every time.  

From what I've ready about the La prescription monitoring program, either a doc or the pharmacy initiates an inquiry.  In other words, I think it's a "top down" inquiry in that the program doesn't trigger the docs/pharms, rather the pharms or doc's call the program.

Because I've had no trouble ever getting anything written or filled, I don't THINK that has happened yet.  The overlap presription took place on June 8th, and I"ve gotten a prescription filled (July 1) since then.  So as far as I know, nothing's happened.  

All that said, I know at some point if I continue to do this, I'm going to be on the jails side of institutions, jails, and death.

[doctorshopper]

I'll be back at my na group tomorrow at lunch.  Tomorrow because I'm talking to this crowd today.

[IBKleen]

Good for you!

[vicki595]

Here's what I think :  I wouldn't do this any more.  I know it's hard BUT all the time you've spent running to appts. and pharmacies and online checking police reports could have been better spent.

Just because you're rx only over lapped once,doesn't mean you haven't been breaking the law.  You've been getting the same med from two different doctors for 6 months. That's a no no.

I remember the nurse in La you spoke of. I think it was a year before she was arrested,not sure. But this is exactly how she got caught...no it wasn't...it was a drug interraction that caused the pharmacist to call the doctor . Anyway,I remember she had been clean for 9 mos.

While you're trying to get clean or stop you might want to cancel one of those rx's. They could very well have you flagged right now and you just don't know it yet. You know,they like to "build" their cases.

[avisg]

i had not  thought about that just the fact that you are getting  it as vicki said you are getting to scripts for the same drug it does not matter if they are overlapping you are braking the law

[doctorshopper]

Great advise.  All the stuff you mentioned (docs/pharms/police reports) are the definition of unmanagability.

I don't have any "live scrips" now.  So cancelling is not an option.  Just never calling those guys for an appt is an option, which is what I'll do.

As for the no no of getting meds from two doc's, I'm pretty sure that if the scripts don't overlap then no crime has been committed.  Again, please don't take that as me trying to minimize what I've done.  I am just looking at the problem in two stages.  The legal part (an in my mind, only the one overlapping script is a problem), and the larger issue of being an addict.  And not just being an addict.  A BAD ONE.  Losing tons of stuff (family, money, etc), stayiing clean a while (two years), then, back at the doc for more pills.

[avisg]

thats a very fine line if they notice you are getting scripts for the same drug over and over from diffrent doctors thats an issue

[vicki595]

You'll do what you want and you know the right thing to do. You're not a dummy!!

But hear this :  It doesn't matter what you're "pretty sure" of, it's against the law. Do these doctors know the other is prescribing?  I'm sure not. It's illegal.

Just looking out for ya..because you're not thinking right.  Be careful...Have a really good reason why you've done this for 6 mos while on probation. You need to stop.

xo

[doctorshopper]

The right thing to do is NEVER put another one of those things in my mouth.

[avisg]

you also HAVE to get recovery care if you want long term sobriety ...

[dominosarah]

I would spend the time now on how do i get and stay in recovery.  Whats done is done with the "shopping" part.  Look at the Serenity Prayer....it says it all.

[doctorshopper]

UPDATE.....

I think I may be in the clear.  I called one of the doc's today (the one that I got to write the overlapping prescription about two months ago) and asked for a refill on one of the anti-inflamatories that he generally writes me every two months.  The nurse (that I know pretty well up there) said "sure, need the other's refilled?"  I told her "nah not right now I'm good".

I'm thinking that if I was under any kind of investigation, they'd know by now and would not have been so accomodating.

Anyway, I know I'm not out of the woods yet on the legal scene (sometimes these things take 4 ever I'm told), but to my knowlege, but I do seem to be in the clear right now.
Additionally, that's the first time I've EVER refused a hydro script, so for all those concerned, progress is being made.

Thanks for all the support the other day y'all.  It's very much appreciated.

[vicki595]

You probably are in the clear,it seems.  Just stear clear of getting the second rx. The more time that goes by,the better. Also,even though you were getting two from two different doctors,it doesn't appear on paper that you were taking them out of the parameters of how they were prescribed.  I guess that's your defense.  Plus at 30 a month and 40 every two months,it's not really a lot in my opinion.

Glad you're making progress. Maybe you can stop all together at some point.
We'll be here when you do ~

Vicki

[keith600]

Here in Nevada your problem would be dr. shopping. I dont know the law of your state but in Nevada its illegal to obtain narcotics from two differant dr.s A few years ago I was getting 1 script for norco 325s and 1 from another dr. for lortab 10s. After almost a year of this the monitering system people sent a letter and a copy of my records to me and to both dr.s. No criminal charges but dropped from both pain management programs.It doesnt sound like drugs are a big part of your addiction right now so maybe it would be a good time to get into recovery,,good luck to you

[designgyrl]

Doctor shopper,

I'm so sorry you put yourself in this situation again.  It's definitely dr. shopping and illegal to get two scripts from two different doctors around the same time, especially if the doctors don't know that the other one is writing almost the same prescription.  Just curious, how are you paying for these, are you going to multiple pharmacies and paying cash for some and then paying with your insurance on others?  I know you've been on probation before for forging prescriptions so I would think the last thing that you would want to do is to get into any more trouble.  Do you feel like you can tell your doctor what you've done and tell him not to write you any more pain prescriptions to possibly keep you out of trouble/jail. Since your already on probation and if they are currently watching you, then you have been red flagged and they are just waiting and watching.  I don't want to scare you, but want to make you realize that it is very illegal what you are doing and we really want you to stop.  Can you talk to one of the doctors about upping the amount of narcotics that you get.  It doesn't seem you get very many to last for a month?  Is that one of the issues is that the medicine is not holding you over?  I really wish you luck and hope they don't do anything to you.