Doctor shopping.

[I Think]

Can any one tell me if it is possible to shop doctors in order to get multiple prescriptions for painkillers? I suspect that someone I know is doing just that, and would like to know if BC has set up a solid system to stop people doing it. It is a pretty common practice in some states, can it be done here.
PS. I do not want to know how to do it, just if it can be done.

[daria]

It is very possible for someone to visit multiple walk-in clinics and ask for various prescriptions, especially if that same person also visits multiple pharmacies to have those various prescriptions filled. Otherwise, someone constantly returning to have prescriptions filled at a particular pharmacy might raise a red flag.

[WeatherWoman]

But the prescription systems are connected. I know with my son that one pharmacy had information about his drug allergy eventhough we didn't tell the pharmists the information yet!

[Tenlock]

I think that pharmacists have a record of what prescriptions are filled for a person, so the alarm bells would go off when someone tried to fill numerous prescriptions of the same drug.

I had a prescription filled at Superstore. I only bought about a 3 month supply which left me with 3 months still available. When I phoned Superstore a couple months later to get the rest, they said I had no prescription left and would have to get a new one. After seeing my doctor, I took my new prescription to Zeller's or London Drugs (can't remember exactly) and asked to have it filled. When the pharmacist looked up my name in their computer, he said he could not fill the prescription for me as I already had a prescription on file at Superstore. I then went back to Superstore where they "found" my lost prescription and filled it. Only after I had used those 3 months worth, was I able to have my new prescription filled. So if someone is shopping around, surely the pharmacist would see that they had prescriptions filled all over town, within a matter of days. It does make me wonder though, how people are able to get so many drugs. I have a friend buzzing on Oxycontin all the time. He's not buying off the street, his doctor is giving him a prescription. Maybe some doctors are just more generous than others.

[wthwyt]

I would hope pharmacies would be tried together so that pharmacists could see the possible bad interactions. If so the pharmacist would then see same drug given by number of doctors and question it.

[I Think]

Thank you for your posts here. It seems that it is possible to get multiple prescriptions from a collection of doctors, and you may or may not get them past the pharmacist.

One more question if you will, if you suspect someone of doing this, what action, if any, can/should you take?

[GordonH]

It would depend is this person reselling them or addicted, reselling well call the Police. With being addicted best to talk to addiction counsellor what steps to take to get help.

[Stultus es]

Thank you for your posts here. It seems that it is possible to get multiple prescriptions from a collection of doctors, and you may or may not get them past the pharmacist.

One more question if you will, if you suspect someone of doing this, what action, if any, can/should you take?

With the new computer system the pharmacists use these days, you won't get away with double dipping here. I can put my scripts in my local pharmacy and get refills on that script anywhere in BC. They will also only give out no more than 3 months supply at a time, and you can't refill more than 30 days in advance. That is for non-narcotic, need for life, types of meds.

[I Think]

These guys are going to small town pharmacies, which are not necessarily checking too hard. They are not selling i think, but pretty wired.

[Bsuds]

They could just be buying off the street.

[I Think]

I don't think they are buying of the street, they get neighbors to drive them to small towns to see the doctor(s).
As you may have gathered I am not concerned with their habits except as they concern me, I am just looking for a way to stop it, not to get involved with playing nursemaid, who do I alert, they are costing us money.

[gardengirl]

I don't think they are buying of the street, they get neighbors to drive them to small towns to see the doctor(s).
As you may have gathered I am not concerned with their habits except as they concern me, I am just looking for a way to stop it, not to get involved with playing nursemaid, who do I alert, they are costing us money.

I would think they will get shut down pretty quickly. All the pharmacies I have been to, small towns or not, are on a network which records prescriptions. Word gets out about "drug seeking" individuals. If these people are on BC Medical, their card will record any office visits. If they are making frequent visits, a flag will go up. It is the same with prescriptions. If the same drug or similar drugs are being prescribed too frequently, flags will go up. It will also flag if they are visiting emerg to get prescriptions.

Why do you think these people are doing this? Could they just be seeking a second opinion or trying to find a family doctor?

[xjeepguy]

Thank you for your posts here. It seems that it is possible to get multiple prescriptions from a collection of doctors, and you may or may not get them past the pharmacist.

One more question if you will, if you suspect someone of doing this, what action, if any, can/should you take?

The only way your going to get away with that now ( getting them filled ) is have fake ID . You could notify the police about that .