Lacey
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- Jul 25, 2011
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If a person has the money they can go to all the doctors they want and get prescriptions. If you lie to the doctor and tell them you aren't getting drugs from another source they really don't have anyway of checking so I feel they can't be held responsible. Even if the doctor suspects something is amiss I'm not sure what they could do other than just totally refuse to treat them. It's not like they could just call up some other doctors and ask them if they were prescribing something for Michael Jackson - I don't think the law would allow that.
And drug stores - unless the prescriptions are being filled that the same store/chain and/or under the same name I doubt they would have a clue either.
I'm not saying that is what happened in MJ's case but at some point personal responsibility/accountability should kick in and if not then it is up to the friends and family but that would be pretty difficult if the person has private security. You just couldn't barge in and do an intervention.
Actually, the doctors can and do check pharmacies. I guess it's easier if you have money, but no matter what, to prescribe controlled substances a doctor has to have a DEA number, and if that number is used to prescribe excessively, it would be flagged and checked. Especially if it was the same patient. Of course, false names could be used, but then it would be the doctor doing something illegal. And, of course, there would have to be a legitimate and verifiable reason to give that particular prescription. If a doctor had a legitimate concern, he could ask the patient when they last had a prescription and where it was filled/what pharmacies they use. The doctor can then call and ask several pharmacies if and when it was done. As you said, several pharmacies could be used, but eventually it would double up. I do know this because I am a medical transcriptionist and several times patients have been denied prescriptions because of questions asked and pharmacies checked.