Drug seekers "Drug of Choice"

ClaireMacl · Aug 7, 2005

We usually get regulars asking for Diazepam or Morphine, because co-dyramol doesn't touch them or they are "allergic". 9 times out of 10 they are spotted and reminded where the exit is

traumahawk99 · Aug 7, 2005

What do the drug seekers coming into your ER ask for most? In our ER it seems to be Vicodin or oxycontin.
What is their usual complaint? In our ER it usually is back pain with pain radiating down the leg. Sometimes they will limp.
Do you have ANY ER Doctors with the Balls to order a non Narcotic? We do. Its cut down on our repeat offenders! Can lead to some very entertaining and loud discussions behind those pt curtains....
Ever have a repeat offender that went really bad? We did. Came in as an overdose after a year of weekly visit for refills of Vicodin for uncontrolable back pain and spasms. Died. Found out later his main income was reselling his pills to those in the area and online. Family sued the Dr and facility for allowing him to become addicted..... and won.

i knew of a guy pulling that for oxy, then reselling them. b.s. that they can do that and then sue.

cursenurse · Aug 7, 2005

people seem to want demerol, which we don't have. so most people want dilaudid. the chief complaint is usually abd pain- and of course they always want to eat.

ClaireMacl · Aug 7, 2005

I think I'm glad we don't have Demerol or Dilaudid in the Uk... infact, I've no idea what our alternatives are :)

mommatrauma, RN · Aug 8, 2005

people seem to want demerol, which we don't have. so most people want dilaudid. the chief complaint is usually abd pain- and of course they always want to eat.

Exactly what we get...they used to ask for Demerol all the time, but since we don't have it, now they always ask for Dilaudid...and the certain amount of MG they want...Our seekers don't waste their time with pills, they want the good stuff...

TiffyRN, BSN, PhD · Aug 8, 2005

I think I'm glad we don't have Demerol or Dilaudid in the Uk... infact, I've no idea what our alternatives are :)

I worked at a hospital where the Demerol was used more commonly for chest pain than NTG sublingual. Didn't make sense to me, it's not the best narcotic out there and morphine is much better for cardiac patients than other narcs (in general).

I don't know if it's currently available, but I seem to remember that Demerol was used in the UK, but it was called Pethidine. Is that still used? Do they still use heroin medically? I don't have a problem with it, just curious.

One other thing I love about working with babies is that they have no drug seeking behaviours.

madwife2002, BSN, RN · Aug 8, 2005

Yes we still use pethadine it is a common drug used for everything including childbirth. We also still use heroin more commonly known as dia-morphine sounds better lol.

rjflyn, ASN, RN · Aug 8, 2005

I think most the drug seekers I have seen recently complain of either headache or back pain. Abd pain doenst work so well esp with some of the older ER docs as they wont give pain meds until a complete work up is done-- ie several hours later. The docs have also gotten to the point where they dont send pts out with scripts for anything, the typical d/c instruction seems to be see you PCP or the health dept in the morning. Otherwise the docs are this is what your getting take it or leave it- with computerized records they can pull up the pts visits in seconds and see everything they have been seen for that in the system.

Rj

student4ever · Aug 8, 2005

I think most the drug seekers I have seen recently complain of either headache or back pain. Abd pain doenst work so well esp with some of the older ER docs as they wont give pain meds until a complete work up is done-- ie several hours later. The docs have also gotten to the point where they dont send pts out with scripts for anything, the typical d/c instruction seems to be see you PCP or the health dept in the morning. Otherwise the docs are this is what your getting take it or leave it- with computerized records they can pull up the pts visits in seconds and see everything they have been seen for that in the system.
Rj

Computerized records are a godsend when it comes to drug seekers, though most of ours are in every other day, so it doesn't take much to remember them! We have one who comes in with headache or chest pain almost every day, and if she doesn't get what she wants, she storms out, leaving her scripts for non-narcotics sitting on the stretcher. Oh, and this always gets me - if you're there every single day, know all the nurses and doctors by name, and wear the same t-shirt and jeans every day, what on earth makes you think that using a different name at registration is going to keep us from remembering who you are???? :rotfl: :rotfl:

ERNURSE4MS · Aug 10, 2005

the popular drug in our area seems to be lorcet plus and demerol. we have a doc who got real popular for rx demerol im in the er for their pain ( usually h/a or back pain) and then writing them a rx for lorcet plus. for about a year we were overrun by seekers. then one of the locals came in od on lorcet plus. when the doc asked for pill bottles to id the drug he got 4-5 bottles-all with different pt names(all local drug seeker none of whom were the pt)-all with his name a rxing md. he asked the pt how he got these. pt responded that for about a year there had been monthly parties at a local apartment complex and they were being sold by the bottle. needless to say that md has dramatically reduced the number of narc rx he has been writing. and lo and behold the number of visits of the seekers has dropped just as dramatically.

mandrews · Aug 11, 2005

oxycotin is the drug of choice. chief complaint backpain or migraines.

melissa