Can patient get in trouble for doctor shopping?

Answer 1

I just found out that the term "Doctor Shopping" refers to the practice of going around to different doctors, to get more than one prescription for Narcotic painkillers. Many, many people depend on painkillers every day, and painkillers help them live a more productive life, but the government is totally paranoid about people who take painkillers, so they're making new laws to crack down on anyone who gets more than one Rx for painkillers, from more than one doctor. So, yes, from what I just researched, you can get in trouble with the law, unfortunately, for the practice of "Doctor Shopping". Since these laws are unfair to people who need painkillers, please write to your congressmen, about stopping the ridiculous over-regulation of painkillers!

Answer 2

There is no formal penalty.

The real problem is that you end up with lower quality medical care.

The PENALTIES OF NOT SHOPPING FOR A DOCTOR ARE of course that you know nothing about your doctor, does he have malpractice issues, is he well recommended, is he new to the area because of problems encountered elsewhere. As for shopping for price, well the price rarely dictates the quality of care as price is usually dictated by demand and the insurance industry as well as cost of overhead, office space, cost of living in a particular area. Therefor some parts of the country and sometimes the city have different rate schedules. Also some doctors work for less than others just as some plumbers work for less than others. Take in mind prescription drugs-some stores sell for less than others. Yes it pays to shop around if you can and especially if you are not covered by insurance like estimated 50-60 million Americans in the USA today.