[davylou1]

Please advise--I'm scared to death. I was seeing 1 doctor and signed a narcotics contract with him. I then moved and started seeing a new doctor. I was prescribed percosets by both. I stupidly filled both scripts, which were identical, a few months. I had thought that by not telling one pharmacy that I had a new primary insurance--that I wouldn't get caught. I did. Filled 1 script last week, pharmacist said oh, you have new insurance--he filled that one. Script #2--brought the actual script to my usual pharmacy (for that one anyway) and asked them to hold it until it was due to fill in 5 days. I did that because I also brought a new cholesterol script. My boyfriend called this pharmacy and asked if it was ready for pick up--she said no--that I had one filled elsewhere...so the 2nd one was never picked up. Although I did "double-dip" for 3 months prior. Today my doctor called(the one I signed the narcotic contract with) and said that he received a print out from Rite aid (I NEVER used that pharmacy to fill script from this DR.) and asked me who this Dr. D was--he also said I violated my contract when I filled a script for oxycontin (10 of them) the previous month. He didn't mention my filling percoset scripts...he was po'd--said he could no longer give me percs and would send me a letter. The new doctor is on vacation--so don't know what she'll say or do.....how much trouble am I in? I really do have severe pain from a botched neck surgery--will I be able to get them? PLEASE advise

[Robert_325]

Originally Posted by davylou1

Please advise--I'm scared to death. I was seeing 1 doctor and signed a narcotics contract with him. I then moved and started seeing a new doctor. I was prescribed percosets by both. I stupidly filled both scripts, which were identical, a few months. I had thought that by not telling one pharmacy that I had a new primary insurance--that I wouldn't get caught. I did. Filled 1 script last week, pharmacist said oh, you have new insurance--he filled that one. Script #2--brought the actual script to my usual pharmacy (for that one anyway) and asked them to hold it until it was due to fill in 5 days. I did that because I also brought a new cholesterol script. My boyfriend called this pharmacy and asked if it was ready for pick up--she said no--that I had one filled elsewhere...so the 2nd one was never picked up. Although I did "double-dip" for 3 months prior. Today my doctor called(the one I signed the narcotic contract with) and said that he received a print out from Rite aid (I NEVER used that pharmacy to fill script from this DR.) and asked me who this Dr. D was--he also said I violated my contract when I filled a script for oxycontin (10 of them) the previous month. He didn't mention my filling percoset scripts...he was po'd--said he could no longer give me percs and would send me a letter. The new doctor is on vacation--so don't know what she'll say or do.....how much trouble am I in? I really do have severe pain from a botched neck surgery--will I be able to get them? PLEASE advise

davylou .... I won't criticize you on this forum. I know that isn't what you are looking for here. You aren't a bad person but you made some really bad choices here. There seems to have been 5 or 6 people doing the same thing as you lately right here over the last few days. I don't understand how people keep thinking they can get away with this stuff.

We've got to use our heads about how we fill these prescriptions. Between people like Anna Nichole Smith, Michael Jackson, etc ... with all the famous people who have died recently from RX drug overdoses what can we expect? Everyone knows it's against the law to dr shop regardless of what type of justification we use in our own minds. We all know it isn't legal to do this.

I will be surprised if your dr doesn't dump you to be honest. I doubt you'll be arrested and handcuffed (although you violated the law) but you violated the terms of the agreement you had with your dr. He is putting his license to be a dr on the line for you if he knowingly allows you to get away with this. He would be risking his ability to earn an income because of someone dr shopping at his expense. That's not fair to him. You could very easily have messed yourself up to where you won't be able to get the medications that you need. There is SOOOO much heat with police over RX drug abuse that people have to make sure they aren't doing anything they aren't supposed to.

You've not done anything I haven't done too years ago when I was younger. So I'm not judging you and don't want you to think that I'm being a jerk. I'm just trying to explain why this is so serious to the dr. It's his livelihood we're talking about. And you did this repeatedly for months admittedly. It wasn't a one-time occurence. Plus you were buying oxycontin! That's serious, it wasn't a darvocet. There is more potential heat to drs and patients both over oxycontins than almost any RX drug you could do this with.

I would say a prayer. Other than that I don't know what to tell you. If the other dr finds out what you did you'll get dumped I'm almost positive. It just depends if the dr realizes what you've done or if it gets by her being on vacation. I hope you learned an important lesson here. It sure isn't worth it when you need meds and lose your ability to legally purchase the meds you require. Good luck and let us know how it works out. God bless.

[no_more_tram]

Well, I don't have much advice for you on this, but I will say that I have Doctor shopped numerous times. I called my primary doctor 3 weeks ago to get a refill and he personally talked to me on the phone and told me that hte pharmacy had filled fraud, because I had several doctors giving me the same medication. Now like I said that was a month ago, nothing as of yet has happened, and I used 2 primary doctors AND went to many many ER's and prompts cares. So it seems that my situation is more severe, but I guess it would all depend on where you live and what the law is there.

I can understand your pain issue, I have degenerative disc disease, I injured myself 3 years ago at my job, and have had pain since(although I have always taken something for my pain) I have now been drug free for 5 days and going to see if my pain decreases any. But that's besides the point. It seems that you are still worried about getting your pain meds, and I couldn't tell ya whether you still will or not, you may or you may not, Guess you will have to wait and see when the time comes. But never, never go to different doctors, becasue although you may not get into any trouble this time the next time might be it!

I wish you the best of luck, and please keep us updated and there are many people here whom have done what you have.

I also have done the Doctor shopping. I had a Hysterectomy in August of 2001 and had what you would call a VERY generous Surgeon/GYN who kept me on Percocets and Vicodins for about 3 months. By then of course, I was hooked by the great feeling I got from them. No stress, no worries, happy, productive, more social, etc..... Basically living my life in an opiate haze. Just floating on a warm, soft cloud, and loving it.

So after the GYN decided that I no longer needed Narcotics for pain, the Dr. shopping started as did ordering from Online Dr.'s. At the worst part of my Addiction, I was seeing 3 Doctors, paying cash at every visit and using a specific Pharmacy for each Dr., again paying with cash. I was also using 2 Online Dr.'s and was also buying off the street - This was at my very worst. I was taking up to 30 Vicodins per day, JUST to not get W/D, and any opiate I could get to get as high as I could get. I blew through thousands of dollars and ended up getting hooked on Fentanyl pain patches - not wearing them but "cheeking" them. I actually wished I would get some type of physical injury or illness that would allow me to need pain meds every month.....

I had to move home to my Moms house as I had no money and one day she found me unconsious on the floor and I was taken to the ER in a Narcotic induced coma and a blood sugar level of 456 - and that is NOT a typo.
I finally got help and went the Suboxone route for 6 months and it was a miracle medication for me. I was able to get sober from all the pills. It was the toughest thing I have EVER done, but I am sure it saved my life. This was in 2003.

Then, in November of 2004 I DID injure my back (Slipped disks at L3, L4, and
L5 and tore a disk also.) Developed severe arthritis throughout my back also. I went through P/T, 6 MRI's, two surgical consults, 3 Cortisone Injections and went from Vicodin to Percocet to Oxycontin then to Dilaudid and then Morphine - I got my wish, I guess..I now need pain meds every single day..... NOT what I wanted as it turns out. As they say, be careful what you wish for......I now NEED the pain meds to move and function and I still live with pain. Only now it is true physical pain and not the "emotional pain" as it was before.

My story is just to tell you that I, along with others I am sure, have Doctor shopped. I was scared all the time of being caught but that didn't stop me. And I am sure that because I paid cash for every visit and every script is the reason I was never caught. I DID have Health Insurance, but claimed I did not.

Since 2001, Doctor shopping has become a major public awareness issue and now there are SO many ways that you will get caught. And then Red Flagged at Pharmacies, etc..... To anyone who is Doctor shopping, I am NOT judging you because I did it as well.....but I would say STOP Immediately!!

I wish you the best, I hope nothing happens further, but yes, you will get "fired" as a patient from the Doctors.

If my story helped anyone, I am glad. I wish so much that I never got started with the pain meds...but I did. And being an Addict (in recovery), but now NEEDING the pain meds, well, this is sometimes a hard position to be in.

I am rambling and I apologize........I would recommend getting a completely new Doctor now - JUST ONE! And get help if you are Addicted.

I wish you the best.....

[ARTIST658]

Like Robert, I can't judge you - as I did my own share of "doctor shopping" years back. The sad thing is, it didn't stop me from finding ways to use and abuse more pills afterwards. I continued on with the dreadful spiral into h*ll quite a ways further, before I was willing to get honest with myself - and stop.

I pray that this experience will help you... to take a good hard look at what is going on with you, that this ever happened. I also had chronic, severe pain that began my addiction quite innocently. I know full-well how easily that can lead us into addiction. But I also know - now - that I could have stopped much earlier, had I heeded the "warning signs" that were there.

So much of the pain I was experiencing was NOT genuine physical pain so much as it was my body's excuse for needing more pills. Psycho-somatic is not something to scoff at - it's very real. And it is NOT easy to discern. No one could convince me that my pain wasn't real at the time - I had to learn that later, after I was off the pills... and seeking solutions outside of drugs.

This event is a huge "warning sign" for you - and it's your choice to either heed it, or disregard it. It takes some brutal self-honesty to see what we're doing, and not to allow the excuses to justify our actions. You don't owe us any explanation - but you do need to take a good hard look at yourself right now - you're in a dangerous position, that can only get worse, if you continue on this path.

God bless,
Ruth

[mottam]

dav1 and family:
Please forgive my ignorance here. What exactly is doc shopping?
Is that going to several different docs for the same medication?

That is what I am getting from these recent threads.

I have been a memeber of this forum for ~ 3 months now, but do not understand exactly what doctor shopping is.

Thanks, and I will pray for you davy1.

mottam

[caughtagain]

MOT, Dr Shopping is waking up in the morning and going to a doc to get pills. Once you run out (probably early), you seek out another doc for the same pills. There are many variations but the intent is the same. Deception of Dr;s to get pills. Hope this helped. ...... CA P.S. I sent you an email

Last night I couldnt sleep and was on the computer for a few hours, all on this site..... I noticed that there were/are A LOT of posts/concerns/questions re: Doctor Shopping... So I just wanted to "bump" this thread up towards the top again in the hopes that more people get a chance to read it.....