Doctor shopping refers to when you visit multiple doctors and provide false information to obtain several prescriptions. You may lie about your symptoms, deny receiving a prescription from another doctor, or commit other forms of deception to get prescription medication. Doctor shopping often happens to people with opioid addiction. The problem with opioid addiction is that your body becomes tolerant of the drugs. As such, it will demand more of the substance to achieve the same effect. This tolerance leads to doctor shopping since you require more than what your prescription provides.
The good news is that there is help for drug abuse. If you are looking for an addiction treatment facility to help you overcome prescription drug abuse, reach out to Serenity House Detox & Recovery Houston by calling 866.516.8356.
What Are the Signs of Doctor Shopping?
If you suspect that your loved is doctor shopping, watch out for the following signs:
- Unexplained illness
- Visiting a doctor that is out of state
- Always giving excuses that they have lost medication
- Lying about appointments
- They become irritable when confronted about their drug abuse symptoms
What Are the Dangers of Doctor Shopping?
Doctor shopping is dangerous for people who abuse prescription medication for both doctors and patients. The dangers of doctor shopping include:
Fatal Overdoses
You may assume that drugs prescribed by a doctor cannot harm you. However, when you take multiple prescriptions from various physicians simultaneously, serious health problems may occur. Opioids are the most abused prescription drugs. Since opioids take a while to leave the body, it is easy to overdose. Opioids affect receptors that are responsible for breathing. An opioid overdose slows your breathing and reduces the oxygen levels in your body. Oxygen starvation eventually stops vital organs like your brain and heart from functioning well, which leads to unconsciousness, coma, and in some cases, death.
Legal Implications
Not only is doctor shopping dangerous to your health, but it is also a state crime. You may admit that you were less than honest when obtaining several prescriptions, but in the end, doctor shopping is illegal, and you may end up in jail. Each state in the US has specific laws that prohibit doctor shopping. The state laws also prohibit you from obtaining drugs by deceit, misrepresentation, or concealment of facts. However, the justice system understands the complications of drug addiction and doctor shopping. A first time offender with prescription drug abuse may be allowed to attend an addiction treatment program instead of serving jail time.
Doctors Have Become Hesitant to Prescribe Medications
As physicians become aware of patients’ doctor shopping, they may be hesitant to prescribe medication to patients. If you are a returning patient, a doctor may deny you the medication or mistrust you because of other lying patients. Some patients use cash to pay for their prescriptions, allowing them to get away with multiple prescriptions. This has made pharmacists hesitant when dealing with genuine patients.
Find Treatment at Serenity House Detox & Recovery Houston
Doctor shopping is dangerous, and it can ruin your life. Instead of seeking new ways to access prescription drugs, it is time to seek help. At Serenity House Detox & Recovery Houston, we can provide you with the resources you need to overcome your prescription drug abuse. Our professionals will offer you the right behavioral therapies and medication to effectively treat your prescription drug addiction problem. Our programs include:
- Individual therapy program
- Behavioral therapy program
- Dual diagnosis treatment program
- Residential detox center
Let us help you stop doctor shopping. Call Serenity House Detox & Recovery Houston today at 866.516.8356 to overcome your opioid addiction and lead a sober life.
