When does a doctor become a drug pusher taking advantage of people?

[WNYresident]

Here's a thought.

Where do you draw the line with doctors when it comes to prescribing medications that are addictive and require weekly appointments that include payments to the doctor? Especially once a person is addicted to any form of medication. If you don't have insurance you'll take your paycheck to feed your addiction while the doctor is "helping" you with your addiction for a fee.

I can easily see a doctor taking advantage of those type of situations.

Are there laws in place that kick in if doctors are profiting too much on a patient?

[Colonel Sun]

New York State implemented something called "I-STOP" in 2013. What "I-Stop" does is every prescription for Schedule II, III and IV drugs written by a doctor must be entered into the "I-Stop" database. Pharmacists also enter data into the "I-Stop" system when scripts are filled. The original purpose of the I-Stop software was to prevent an addict from going to one doctor at 9AM, get a script for Hydrocodone, then see another doc at 11, get a similar script and visit another doc at 3 and get yet another script. "I-Stop" does work.

However, I-Stop is a fountain of data at the State level showing what doctors (and what pharmacies) write and fill scripts for specific drugs.

It was not designed to be used to prevent a doctor from getting a patient addicted to painkillers, and then getting rich off that addiction.

I do know that if you are a doctor who writes large numbers of painkiller (or other often abused drug scripts such as Adderall), thanks to I-Stop, you now invite a visit from the New York State Office of the Professions or (if you write scripts paid for by Medicaid) the Medicaid Inspector General's Office.

The direct answer to your question is no. There are no laws specifically to stop this. Indirectly, New York State is aware of this and has an (unofficial) program in place to address this problem.

(Schedule II drugs include Hydrocodone and Codeine. Schedule III drugs include Anabolic Steroids.)

[HipKat]

I told my doctor in December at my first complete health exam in 20 years that if there's something wrong, we fix it. I refuse to be a test baby for the pharmaceutical companies. When he asked me what I meant I told him that not so many years ago, no one ever heard of COPD, now everyone has it and I suspect it's because the drug companies came up with a treatment they want pushed and I refuse to do that. He t old straight out I was correct.

[70stang]

I told my doctor in December at my first complete health exam in 20 years that if there's something wrong, we fix it. I refuse to be a test baby for the pharmaceutical companies. When he asked me what I meant I told him that not so many years ago, no one ever heard of COPD, now everyone has it and I suspect it's because the drug companies came up with a treatment they want pushed and I refuse to do that. He t old straight out I was correct.

It's funny you bring this up.My endocrinologist's big thing is Vitamin D and low levels of it.I asked her whats the big deal and she said something along the lines of "You'll have aches and pain's without it". The last time I saw her,I asked her what I was seeing her for,Was it my bad thyroid or poor vitamin levels?She answered "Thyroid",To which I answered "Correct,So lets stop with the vitamin garbage and just worry about that.".She started in with the aches and pains again and I just told her that I expect it being 58 years old and after having a stroke at 48,I don't think a few small bone cracks when I get up are going to matter.I think this vitamin d crap is the new "Cholesterol",To me their pushing what they can get away with. I said it before,Big Pharma has built in salespeople in the dr's.

[WNYresident]

Feds Charge Dr. Eugene Gosy For Six Deaths

http://www.wgrz.com/news/local/feds-...ource=facebook


So you can legally disperse "drugs"

[HipKat]

It's funny you bring this up.My endocrinologist's big thing is Vitamin D and low levels of it.I asked her whats the big deal and she said something along the lines of "You'll have aches and pain's without it". The last time I saw her,I asked her what I was seeing her for,Was it my bad thyroid or poor vitamin levels?She answered "Thyroid",To which I answered "Correct,So lets stop with the vitamin garbage and just worry about that.".She started in with the aches and pains again and I just told her that I expect it being 58 years old and after having a stroke at 48,I don't think a few small bone cracks when I get up are going to matter.I think this vitamin d crap is the new "Cholesterol",To me their pushing what they can get away with. I said it before,Big Pharma has built in salespeople in the dr's.

Amen brother! I avoid Dr's until I need one and them, like you said, with the stipulation we correct what's wrong