What Is Florida ‘Doctor Shopping?’

Some controlled substances have accepted medical uses, such as Adderall to treat ADHD or Zolpidem (Ambien) for chronic insomnia. In order to get them, a person must scrupulously follow rules and regulations, chief among them only procuring the medication from one medical professional. A person who seeks to obtain a controlled substance from more than one medical professional, if discovered, can be charged and tried for the crime colloquially known as “doctor shopping.’

A Societal Problem

Doctor shopping, known in the law as “withholding information from a doctor or medical practitioner,” is perpetrated by people who either become addicted to their medication, or by people who have more monetary motives. The statute may seem vague, speaking of withholding information in general, but specifically, it states that a person may not withhold the material fact that they have been prescribed a controlled substance by a doctor from another doctor.

For example, someone who suffers from chronic pain may receive a prescription for oxycodone from their doctor. They cannot then go to the doctor down the street and obtain more (or any drug that has too similar a medical use – say, another opioid in this case). Lying about this causes harm to all involved – the alleged perpetrator, the medical professionals, and society as a whole.

Technology Tells The Truth

The average person tends to think they will never be found out, but in truth, Florida pharmacists and medical professionals are required to check a state database which tallies controlled prescriptions in the state. These prescriptions must be reported in the system by no later than the next day’s close of business, and if a person somehow obtains two for the same controlled substance, the database will flag the file with a “Multiple Provider Event” (MPE) flag.

Law enforcement does not have access to this database, but they can ask for relevant information during an ‘active’ investigation. Sometimes, the program’s manager will preemptively share this information with law enforcement if a particularly egregious pattern is happening. Doctor shopping is usually charged as a third-degree felony, carrying a maximum of five years in jail, plus assorted fines and costs, and these offenses are prosecuted aggressively.

Contact A West Palm Beach Drug Crimes Attorney

If you have been charged with the crime of doctor shopping, it is imperative that you take the charges seriously. A West Palm Beach drug crimes attorney from Perlet & Shiner, P.A. can help protect your rights and make sure your story is told. Contact our office today at (561) 721-0552 to schedule a consultation.