Drug Seekers

What to do when someone fakes symptoms to get narcotics? Depending on my mood and how busy we are you might get lucky with me. Sometimes I don't care if you have come in every other day for a year for a demerol shot if it will just clear the bed to get someone who is very ill into the room. Sometimes I play possum. This involves treating the patient's pain with IV toradol, IM Zofran for nausea... anything but an opiate or opiate derivative. Then you wait and complete your evaluation. I have found that the true drug seekers will often seek greener pastures and will just get up and walk out. Sometimes you find a real cause for pain. These patients are needles in a haystack but they keep your sphincter-tone up when all the nurses tell you, "Oh, that's Mr. X, he's here all the time, all he wants are drugs." One day Mr. X will be sick and you can't afford to be wrong, not even once.