Drug Abuse
Doctor Shopping: A Scam for Addicts
Doctor shopping is the fraudulent practice of faking or exaggerating a medical condition in order to convince numerous physicians to write prescriptions for the same or similar medication. People may do this either to feed an addiction or to obtain pharmaceuticals to re-sell on the street.
Patients will seek treatment for:
- Old injuries
- New injuries (real or not)
- Reoccurring issues (toothaches, headaches, backaches, etc.)
Patients will go to:
- Hospital emergency rooms
- Urgent care facilities
- Physicians who accept walk-ins
Hidden costs
Even before the pharmacy claim is filed, there will be a visit to a physician, urgent care facility, or emergency room, generating one or more claims for payment.
It is not simply the cost of the drugs that drive up bills, but the cost of medical visits related to obtaining the prescriptions.
Resources
| Prescription drugs commonly sought through doctor-shopping |
| Narcotics |
Morphine—MS Cotin, Liquid Roxanol
Oxycodone/Oxycodone combinations—Percocet, Percodan, OxyContin
Hydrocodone/Hydrocodone combinations—Vicodin, Lortab, Norco
Methadone—Dolophine, Methadose
Fentanyl—Duragesic Patch, Actiq lozenge or lollypop
Hydromorphone—Dilaudid |
| Antianxiety Agents |
Valium (diazepam)
Xanax (alprazolam) |
| Sedative/Hypnotic Agent |
Seconal |
| Stimulants |
Methylphenidate—Ritalin, Concerta |
The above is printed with permission of McKesson Health Solutions, LLC.
To report suspected cases of doctor shopping, please call the CDPHP Special Investigations Unit at 1-800-280-6885 or (518) 641-3228.