Doctor shopping is the practice of visiting multiple to obtain multiple prescriptions. It is a common practice of people with substance use disorders, suppliers of addictive substances,
Description
A doctor shopper will visit multiple health care providers as a "new patient" or "visiting from out of town", and will exaggerate or feign medical problems to obtain prescription medications
or a wanted medical opinion, diagnosis or treatment with no specific material gain.
This is illegal in Canada under S. 4(2) of the CDSA.
For prescription drugs
Frequently involved in prescription fraud are
,
,
,
,
and other psychoactive substances manufactured for use in legitimate medical treatment. Law enforcement officers spend a significant amount of time investigating cases involving prescription fraud, many of which also involve
insurance fraud, Medicare, or
Medicaid fraud.
Prescription drug diversion occurs by faking, forging, or altering a prescription; obtaining bogus prescriptions from criminal medical practitioners; or buying drugs diverted from health care facilities by personnel. Pharmacy thefts are increasing throughout the United States to feed the growing demand for prescription drugs. The rising cost of prescription drugs has also enticed senior citizens to join in the diversion and to sell their prescriptions.
In hypochondriasis and factitious disorders
Some patients of
hypochondria, factitious disorder and factitious disorder imposed on another will visit multiple health care providers to find a medical opinion, diagnosis or treatment that they feel the need to get,
not specifically in search of prescription drugs, for no material benefit
and even incurring in significant costs, debts or losses. This kind of doctor shopping lacks intention to commit malingering for material gain and is the result of such mental conditions.
See also
