No Stupid Questions

Doctors don't necessarily send patient information between each other, but many practices use connected platforms (i.e. My Chart) that a new provider could pull previous history from. Doctor shopping is when a patient goes to different providers/practices in hopes of getting multiple prescriptions (such as controlled substances like Vicoden or Percocet). Others mentioned maybe it's pharmacy shopping which is when a patient takes prescription(s) to multiple pharmacies hoping for better prices or, in the case of controlled substances, trying to find one who won't check the state's controlled medication reporting system to verify they aren't already getting it elsewhere.

Y'all can afford doctors?

Lamo, look at this american!!

sobs because I need this answer too

If I don't get a happy ending during my yearly physical then I'm out.

You can either start with a general Internet search for doctors and read their reviews and check if they accept your insurance. Or start with your insurance company's list of providers (which may be out of date) and then go read reviews for doctors. If possible, I highly recommend non-profit/university-affiliated doctors offices, and especially stay away from anything owned by private equity...they try to squeeze as much money out of patients and their employees as possible.

In the US, doctors aren't allowed to share info about their patients with anyone without the patient's permission. However, there are lists out there for people who try to circumvent controlled substance laws.

As in trying different doctors before you find one you like? Or is there another meaning I'm unaware of?

As John Mulaney explains, you use your favorite doctor finder website and sort by fewest stars.

Try asking around your network for a person who has had a similar affliction, or ask a doctor you know for a referral. Doctors don't usually send patient information unless approved by the patient, in which case it's usually by means of industry or national standard file formats or even hard copies of you're going old school.

No, doctors can't pass info between each other without your written approval, due to HIPAA. If you're drug seeking, you won't sign the release forms.

Main criteria is Has walk-in slots or relatively quick availabilities and is either close from home or close from work. This usually drastically reduce the option. While I am lucky enough to be able to afford "Extra-costs"and "private doctor" I would prefer to see doctor applying the legal cost and public hospital over private clinics, but sometimes going private means seing a specialist tomorrow rather than next week. (Or in 3 month for rare specialities)

Nowadays, most countries, have some form of centralized medical record, so if you consent to it, and if your doctor use-it (Public hospital most likely, private hospital sometimes, old 80 year old doctor nope)

This feels too much like a post about how to get opioid prescriptions.

like all review sites nowadays folks can pay to hide bad reviews so good luck.

It isn't like there's an automatic cross reference any time you go to a doctor.

Where people usually get caught is at the pharmacies, since that's where most places have their tracking. When it isn't there, it's via insurance, since even if pharmacies didn't track prescriptions against a database, the insurance companies that pay for your meds already do.

Doctor shopping, on the level you're asking about, it tends to be about finding providers that will just write a prescription with little or no difficulty. That's the easy part of it. Doctors tend to either refuse to do pain management at all, or will only do it short term; but the ones that will do it short term tend to still be willing because they know they aren't going to end up with hassles as long as they aren't providing you with a steady stream. And, they also know if you're "drug seeking" as opposed to treatment seeking, that you'll get noticed at the pharmacy or insurance company.

Now, if you're actually a chronic pain patient, you can find doctors that will act as your pain management, but it's going to be rare as hell, and they'll keep an eyeball on you. But you'll usually get turfed to a pain "specialist", and have to jump through whatever hoops they prefer.

It's the same with things other than opiates, like benzos, ambien, etc that have a recreational use aspect, or get abused heavily/are addictive. But opiates are more or less the big doctor shopping target. Benzos are a close second, but GPs are much more likely to refer you to a psychiatrist that's set up for handling the underlying issue than with opiates.

It has gotten a shit ton harder to sustain doctor shopping though, because there's so many possibilities to get flagged now. You don't even want to know how often chronic pain patients run into issues if they make the mistake of seeing a different doctor because their primary is out of town, or retires. And gods forbid you switch pharmacies when there's a shortage of a medication that's controlled like that. You can end up being refused anything without jumping through a million hoops.

I've seen people in their eighties flagged for pain meds. Like, who gives a fuck if they do become chemically dependent, they're not going to be a long term risk for anything if they're dealing with chronic pain in the first place. Too many co-morbidities.

They can't if if they're "difficult".