Talk:Doctor shopping

Tramadol in Commonly abused section
The Commonly abused prescription drugs has a lot of information about Tramadol largely unrelated to its roll in doctor shopping.

It says: Tramadol is also another milder pain medication that has a lower propensity for abuse, but can become addictive. Tramadol is similar to narcotic pain medications by working on certain nerves in the brain that control how you experience pain. Tramadol is a novel analgesic having both opiate agonist activity and monoamine reuptake inhibition that contribute to its analgesic efficacy. Opiate activity is due to both the parent compound and the more active O-desmethylated metabolite. Tramadol acts on the monoamine reuptake systems by inhibiting the reuptake into nerve terminals of both norepinephrine and serotonin. Rarely, abnormal drug-seeking behavior (addiction) is possible with this medication. Tramadol is currently not controlled under the CSA., and thus is a non-scheduled drug. However the DEA does require that manufacturers clearly label the bottles to warn doctors about its recent higher numbers of abuse, as a precaution. This drug is often mistakenly classified as an opioid Schedule II or IV controlled substance by both doctors and pharmacists alike. Perhaps this mistaken identity is attributed to Tramadol’s opiate like effects in the brain. However, it is Chemically not an opioid and is not a scheduled drug.

Which is not only far more information than is given about the other drugs, but is far more information than is needed in this article (it is provided in the Tramadol article itself). The Tramadol portion should be cut to exclude the information not relative to its abuse and role in doctor shopping and the Tramadol name linked to it's article, as with the other mentioned drugs.--Theava (talk) 23:41, 6 July 2009 (UTC)

Well I went ahead and rewrote it, I think it provides a lot better information with far less unneeded information about tramadol, but keeping the information that explains reasons a drug like such can be less abusable. --Theava (talk) 23:41, 6 July 2009 (UTC)

Request for expansion
I have requested that this be expanded as it is currently no more than a dictionary definition. It should be expanded to discuss abuse of prescription medication, duty of care of the physician and rising pharmaceutical costs. Capitalistroadster 07:26, 14 October 2005 (UTC)

One word: Oxycontin... --66.82.9.55 06:09, 11 December 2005 (UTC)

Citation needed
"...witness the fact that the most commonly represented demographic group in Narcotics Anonymous is doctors (principally anesthesiologists) and pharmacists."

Is that true??

--87.194.58.113 11:34, 27 October 2006 (UTC)Ean

Added section
Added a section pointing out that not all "doctor shoppers" are addicts trying to get drugs for abuse. Under-prescription of painkillers due to paranoia among doctors of being prosecuted for prescribing them is now a serious problem, especially for younger people. I had laser surgery on my feet with no anaesthetic apart from paracetamol, because they couldn't use a local as it would interfere with the treatment and they said that "hospital policy" meant they couldn't give stronger drugs to someone my age. Similarly my flatmate broke his arm badly in a workplace accident and all they would give him was ibuprofen. People with chronic pain conditions also suffer needlessly because they can't get sufficient drugs to treat their pain; look at the case of Richard Paey who is now in prison for 20 years in Florida for possession of his own Percocet pills after he moved states and could no longer get prescribed the dose which he had been stabilized on previously. Not all doctor shoppers are drug abusers! Meodipt 03:55, 23 April 2007 (UTC)

I agree, it's an important issue. I actually lost my job because I couldn't get the medication I needed in time due to a chronic, but manageable, health issue. I could have gone "shopping", but then I would have risked being labeled a drug seeker -- not something you want happen when you have a real medical issue. 122.57.136.187 (talk) 12:20, 5 June 2008 (UTC)

Added a Worldview label to the "Commonly abused prescription drugs" section
Some countries do not require prescriptions for drugs that might be scheduled in the US; so this section is not entirely accurate. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Joseph11h (talk • contribs) 07:24, 18 April 2008 (UTC)

Whole entry seems very biased against the patient
Patients may also "physician shop" because of inadequate or inappropriate care--due either to the inability of the first physician to diagnose the problem or possibly a doctor's belief that prescribing, say, antibiotics or physical therapy are not called for. Or perhaps the patient has cancer and wants to try a chemotherapy that the first doctor doesn't normally prescribe. Doctor number one resists discussing alternatives. The patient then goes to another doctor who is more willing to work with the patient. Or a patient sees a specialist who is rude or seemingly not up to date. The patient goes to two more doctors looking for one s/he can work with. To characterize all physician shopping as related to drug abuse seems extremely biased, as well as taking a narrow view. Eperotao (talk) 20:17, 14 January 2013 (UTC)