Got caught doctor shopping. What happens next?

[mutant]

Hi, if anyone has info on what the regulations are like currently (particularly in Victoria) for doctor shopping, I'd really like to hear from you.

I've been taking a lot of stilnox lately and had a few different doctors prescribing it to me. Yesterday I messed up by taking a prescription to the pharmacy where I'd filled a script by a different doctor less than six weeks ago. The guy offered to call my main doctor and I just froze because she already hadn't been happy with the amount I was telling her I was taking 2/night). I broke down when the pharmacist started questioning me and pretty much confessed that I have a problem. He was a nice guy, didn't try to make me feel worse than I already was feeling; he gave me the option of staying and talking to the doctor on the phone but I declined because I was so ashamed and knew she'd be so disappointed in me. I just took the script, thanked him and ran.

He said he would wait til the afternoon before calling the doctor "so that you can have some time and think about going to tell her yourself" - I didn't do that but I'm so thankful he gave me that time because I was luckily able to fill the script elsewhere. I'm assuming I won't be able to fill the refills once word gets through to my doctor; is this correct?

My main question is, what happens to me now? How likely is it that he called the other doctor as well (I have an appointment to see him tomorrow)? Is there some sort of registry that I'll go on? Will every future pharmacist and doctor be able to see that this happened?

And for the record, I'm aware it's unhealthy to be taking so much zolpidem. I'm just not ready to give it up at this time.

Thanks for any help!

 

[Verybuffed]

Sounds like you just met a very cool and understanding Pharmacist mate.

Go and have a talk with your Doctor or the Pharmacist again if you feel comfortable.

 

[BlueHues]

He might not have even called, don't jump the gun! be cool man!

 

[webbykevin]

99% of the things people worry about never happen - it's all cool bro - stay in the moment - it's not happening NOW !

 

[Christ!]

Sorry I can't help you out with your questions mate, someone will come along shortly who should be able to.

Just wanted to mention how good pharmacists like that are. They use their brains...have empathy and compassion. You need to assume he did call. I would have contacted your doctor beforehand. I suggest making an appointment to discuss it. It's obvious you actually feel ashamed about it, not exactly the kind of 'evil' doctor shopper some doctors imagine.

 

[Sublimit]

Chemists can't have you on file as being a doctor shopper, that would be against the privacy act. I would read that for more info regarding what the criteria is for being on a GP's watch list, as they won't directly tell you unless you ask the question which would be silly. I do know that if you have met DS criteria then your medicare number will show any and every GP(not pharmacist) that you've been listed and they most likely won't give you shit unless you've already a rapport with them.

there's only one way to find out, and my advise would be to see the GP, or the one you'd feel most comfortable with and just be subtle and read their mood towards you. from memory, and this is going back a few years now i think the criteria was 5 or more GP's(same clinic included) in a month(or could be 3 month period) would get you on a list, but it's not automated as in some GP would have to manually check if you are even on this list and the they would need to take action for this to happen. So you could see 20 GP's and not get done if i remember correctly.... the register might have changed since, but as far as i know it's not an automatic thing, you need to first been within the criteria and also have a sus GP check you out.

So you say you have a problem but aren't ready? I'd see a GP that you feel most comfortable with, don't mention multiple GP's if you don't have to obviously, but honestly think you'd do well to explain something along the lines of... "well you know all that Zolpidem you've been giving me? well I regret to tell you that my friends mum has access to substantial amounts and i've been buying them for lots of money and i know i have a problem but was too ashamed to say anything to you, can you help me?" I mean Zolpidem? fuck that. Say you're prepared to go on weekly pickups before GP even has a chance to suggest it, and push for something like clonazepam, or even diazepam.... Clonaz aint on the pbs so no other GP could know you were getting that even if you were blacklisted.... thats if you want to help yourself of course, but at the same time you could help yourself if your GP sympathizes with you, and they should doctorshoper or not, then you'd still be getting something better than what you're doing now anyway.

there was also a 15 script count per month(or 3?), that would also make you be visible on the DS register... IMO and from my experience, you'd better off with one good GP prescribing you a stronger benzo, suggesting a weekly pickup will give them confidence to do so, admitting you have a benzo tolerance and problem would make a sensible GP feel obligated to do this. My GP that i have to go to the other-side of town for is aware of my past, but i've asked for flunitrazepam with no problems, apart from the hassle of it being an authority scripts for repeats, so is kinda a once off every now and then as i won't push him, but I'm trying to taper off the damn things as i've been on them for 2 years, what i would do to kick them tomorrow but i can't. it's the last thing to kick apart from cigarettes but also the most annoying. be careful what you wish for eh?

 

[drug_FUCKED]

It takes many scripts in 3months from many doctors to get on there. even once your on there it only last a few months. only pbs can put u on it
its not too bad u might just have lost those 2 doctors though thats worst case

 

[kaiba]

Are you mainly using stilnox/zolpidem for sleep? Are you using it to get high or something?

 

[Verybuffed]

Sorry I can't help you out with your questions mate, someone will come along shortly who should be able to.

Just wanted to mention how good pharmacists like that are. They use their brains...have empathy and compassion. You need to assume he did call. I would have contacted your doctor beforehand. I suggest making an appointment to discuss it. It's obvious you actually feel ashamed about it, not exactly the kind of 'evil' doctor shopper some doctors imagine.

That is some good advice. "They" are not all scum bags!

 

[mutant]

Thanks for everyone's input.

Are you mainly using stilnox/zolpidem for sleep? Are you using it to get high or something?

Yeah.. I wouldn't really call it getting high because I have such a tolerance to it, but it really helps motivate me and get me through the day. I also use it for sleep, and it sounds weird but as an appetite suppressant.


Sublimit, thank you for your informative reply. Do you know what the "doctor shopping watch list" is actually called? I'd like to read more about the current criteria, because if it's 5 doctors within a month I'm safe but if it's 5 in three months, I'm kinda screwed. It's really good to know that the pharmacies don't have universal access to my prescription info through my medicare number or something though. I was reading about the Prescription Monitoring Program in the US, and it sounded like when someone is added to the database they get notified by mail. Do you know if this is true in Australia also? You'd think they would at least give you a heads up somehow.

Also, this is semi-related but I was wondering... once someone has been on a methadone/suboxone maintenance program, are they branded with this info for life? I completed my sub therapy in April and I always wonder if new doctors/pharmacists can tell.

Re: your suggestion to switch to benzos, it's just not an option for me as I struggled so hard to come off an 8 year benzo addiction Which in many ways I consider to have been more traumatising than heroin; I feel it really altered my personality permanently. I totally understand how you feel when you say they're so hard to quit. Tapering isn't fun, and it can take many many attempts to wean before you're successful but it can be done Obviously I'm not the best example as I'm still here substituting with other drugs haha. I have an appointment with a new GP in a few hours. It is what it is...

 

[mutant]

It takes many scripts in 3months from many doctors to get on there. even once your on there it only last a few months. only pbs can put u on it
its not too bad u might just have lost those 2 doctors though thats worst case

Hi drug_FUCKED, can you cite a source for this info? I'd really like to read more about it. Thanks

 

[Sublimit]

^^^^^ good luck with your appointment mate, i guess you'll get your answer then, in the meantime you should look at this. http://www.medicareaustralia.gov.au/provider/pbs/prescription-shopping/index.jsp

with the methadone/suboxone thing..... GP's need a permit to be allowed to prescribe it for you just like any other schedule 8 drug. What you need to make sure of is that GP has canceled the permit otherwise it could came back to bite you in the arse years later. i've heard of this happening where someone was on methadone briefly around 10 years ago and was getting Oxycodone prescribed recently and everything turned pear-shaped because of some bitch of a methadone GP who, for one reason or another, didn't cancel the permit when her patient stopped the program. The GP prescribing the oxycodone was fine for the first 6months until medicare contacted him and showed an existing permit.... needless to say that this was a hassle, and also instantly puts said person on medicares watch list. the permit holder was even reluctant to let go even when current gp was asking her to, hence the word to describe her as a bitch was being quite reasonable

No, my mother works at a pharmacy and the only thing i've seen them do was call my GP in front of me, which my gp had suggest they might do because of an irregularity on my script(his printer wasn't working at the time and it was schedule 8)... i also remember them asking for my consent to do this.... but as with pharmacy's in general, i can defiantly say it's not like it is in the US.

anyway hope that helps, i'm sort of rushing this, as i shouldn't be on here now, but once again good luck for today