How do you deal with drug-seekers?

[Jo Dirt]

I posted to another thread that reminded me of something I saw a couple of years ago while accompanying my father-in-law to the doctor. It was at this medical clinic and there was this woman (maybe up in her 50's, she had a rough life apparently and probably looked older than she was) and she was wandering around in circles (this was a large clinic). She found the doctor she was looking for and I heard her ask him, "Can I get some Lortabs?" and he quickly told her, "No, I just can't do that, I'm sorry."

Another time, I was in nursing school (LPN) and me and another student got to spend a day with a specialist in internal medicine. This one woman came in so messed up she couldn't stand straight. He was so patient with her but I wanted to give her a foot in the rear. She was laying across the exam table laughing and rolling around and her eyes were glazed...I was so disgusted with that woman.

My experience with clinics is limited and such, but do you see a lot of drug seekers? Is this something you must deal with a lot? Do you have the liberty to refuse to see a patient you suspect of being a junkie looking for a fix?