Drug Seekers

TheGooch · May 8, 2014

Why keep rehashing a tired old subject. Here's a list of drug seeking threads:

Columnist · May 9, 2014

Hello and welcome to the site. Perhaps someone will come on and offer some helpful input to your question.

While there are several threads about this topic, they were all new at one time.....as were the members who participated in those threads and the ones who are reading this thread.

Sassy5d · May 15, 2014

People tell me that they don't need ER for meds cuz they can get whatever they want on the street..

But some punch brick walls, fall down stairs, rebreak bones ect

Drug seeker stories aren't really that fascinating to me. There's countless websites with message boards for people to ask how to 'score' iv dilaudid. It's sheer desperation and it's pretty sad and pathetic

KYARNP · May 15, 2014

I work at a hospital er where i often see a pt. Who comes in seeking iv demerol i told him after about 30 visits we dont carry it anymore now he asks for iv morphine he dont get that either

addylpn · May 15, 2014

I was just in the ER yesterday (personal issue) and saw a woman getting very irritated with Dr. for not prescribing anything "stronger" for pain. Dr. was Asian and when she walked away pt. muttered "why don't you go eat some rice!". Wow!

KYARNP · May 15, 2014

That is typical behavior of drug seeker so sad. Pt.s will go to any extremes to get pain meds.

That Guy, BSN, RN, EMT-B · May 16, 2014

I am "being sued" by one of our chronics. I love how they think the threat of litigation magically will get them what they want.

Christy1019, ASN, RN · May 16, 2014

I am "being sued" by one of our chronics. I love how they think the threat of litigation magically will get them what they want.

Maybe we'll run into each other on the set of Judge Judy, as I have tons of threatened lawsuits lol.

TheGooch · May 16, 2014

Drug seeker stories aren't really that fascinating to me. There's countless websites with message boards for people to ask how to 'score' iv dilaudid. It's sheer desperation and it's pretty sad and pathetic

Kudos for you for taking that attitude.

I think it's really sad that "drug seekers" have become fodder for "tell me your funny stories" here on All Nurses. These people have issues with drugs and need help, not you laughing behind their backs because the doctor didn't prescribe them pain meds.

Sassy5d · May 17, 2014

When someone asks tell me your drug seeker stories, I almost feel like they want to know fresh ideas.

I find humor in just about everything.. But drug seeking is not one of them.. But that's me. It's frustrating, pressing resources, the situation almost always ends up chaotic.

It really is exhausting, especially with frequent flyers who you know are going to wear you thin.

So drug seeker stories? Desperate people will do anything, ANYTHING to get iv or rx for pain medication. They're many times mean, rude, angry, persistent and loud.

psu_213, BSN, RN · May 17, 2014

Yes, there are occasional drug seekers…i.e. just want a narc to get high. In reality, most people who come to the ER are in some degree of pain. There are some ER nurses who a way too quick to label someone who is a pain as a "drug seeker" just because they come to the ER often for pain (usually chronic pain issues).

As I said, there are a small number of true drug seekers. The one that really stands out was when a wife said to me (re: her husband who was drug seeking) "there is a new state law that requires the ER to give a chronic pain patient whatever narc they are requesting in whatever dose they are requesting!" She they whipped out her cell phone to try and look for proof of this phony law.