Stumbled Across Something In The Garbage

[george roy]

Hello all,

 

Slicing up a snack earlier, and as I dumped the scraps in the garbage, a sheet of paper with a logo caught my eye.

 

I pulled the paper out of the garbage, and it was a pharmacy receipt. For Prozac.

 

Ok, I knew she was taking this anti-depressant. So I didn't think anything of the receipt.

Until I saw it was prescribed from a different doctor than before.

I poke in the garbage a little more, and find another pharmacy receipt. For Xanax. Prescribed from our regular doctor.

 

Prozac and Xanax, prescribed by two different doctors.

 

Is this even legal ?

 

Any input and advice is appreciated.

[2.50 a gallon]

As to the legality, your divorce attorney would be the one to ask.

 

 

Hold on to the evidence and stash in a safe place. And do not let her know that you know.

[Art_Critic]

From the little info you have given it sounds like it is legal and safe if she told the DR's that she was taking the other.

 

One is used to treat depression and the other anti-anxiety.

 

There is no law that says she can't get different scripts from different DR's, now if she was DR shopping and didn't have those aliments then that is not legal from what I know of.

 

Of course I'm no legal expert and like the other poster mentioned you might want to speak to your attorney....

Edited December 22, 2013 by a LoveShack.org Moderator

[george roy]

As to the legality, your divorce attorney would be the one to ask.

 

Hold on to the evidence and stash in a safe place. And do not let her know that you know.

 

Of course.

 

From the little info you have given it sounds like it is legal and safe if she told the DR's that she was taking the other.

 

One is used to treat depression and the other anti-anxiety.

 

There is no law that says she can't get different scripts from different DR's, now if she was DR shopping and didn't have those aliments then that is not legal from what I know of.

 

Of course I'm no legal expert and like the other poster mentioned you might want to speak to your attorney....

 

She was taking the Prozac prior. The general practitioner prescribed that a couple of months ago.

 

What made me look twice was that the scripts were from two doctors.

 

The GP wrote up the Xanax this time. The next day, some doctor I've not heard of wrote up the Prozac.

 

So now I'm thinking she's doctor shopping.

 

Input and advice is always appreciated.

[CarrieT]

Is she sleepy a lot - and bi-polar? Here are how the two drugs interact:

 

alprazolam ↔ fluoxetine

 

Applies to: Xanax (alprazolam), Prozac (fluoxetine)

 

MONITOR: Fluoxetine may increase plasma alprazolam concentrations, decrease alprazolam clearance, and increase the elimination half-life of alprazolam. The mechanism may be related to inhibition of CYP450 3A4 microsomal drug metabolism. This combination may impair psychomotor performance and reports have suggested that the risk of cardiac toxicity such as bradycardia may be increased.

 

MANAGEMENT: If fluoxetine and alprazolam must be used together, close observation is recommended for increased adverse effects. Patients should be warned about excessive drowsiness and potential adverse effects on their psychomotor and driving skills.

[keepontruckin]

As far as I know, you can get scripts from any Doctor you wish, or any number of Doctors.

 

The only issue would be if she's getting the SAME script at the SAME time from two different Doctors. And since SSRI's and Benzo's are a completely different class of drug, I see no issue here...

[Yarrow]

There's nothing illegal about this. Any number of things could have happened, many of them innocent.

 

Her GP could be prescribing her Xanax, and her psychiatrist could be prescribing her Prozac and they both know of each other. Her GP could be prescribing both, but forgot to give her the Prozac that one time, so when she went back the next day and the clinic scheduled her with a different guy. Or she grabbed her prescription without really looking at it, got to the pharmacy, they noticed that she was missing the Prozac, then phoned her GP. GP wasn't available or didn't answer the phone, the message went to whoever was on call or covering for that shift and that doctor authorized it, then she went back the next day to pick it up. She went to pick up her refills, but the refills on the Prozac had run out, so the pharmacy only gave her the Xanax. She then booked an appointment the next day with the first doctor that would see her on short notice and got a prescription on Prozac. Lots of different ways this could have happened.

 

Prozac is generally not addictive, but Xanax is. I would be more concerned if she had multiple prescriptions for Xanax, from different doctors, very close in time, filled at different pharmacies. It's not illegal, but it's frowned upon, and any of those doctors would be fully within their rights to refuse to treat her again if they found out she was lying to get drugs. It's only illegal if she's selling the drugs. Drug dealing is illegal, so that's when the police get involved.

[Trimmer]

Of course.

 

 

 

She was taking the Prozac prior. The general practitioner prescribed that a couple of months ago.

 

What made me look twice was that the scripts were from two doctors.

 

The GP wrote up the Xanax this time. The next day, some doctor I've not heard of wrote up the Prozac.

 

So now I'm thinking she's doctor shopping.

 

Input and advice is always appreciated.

 

With the appointments coming a day apart in that sequence, it's also possible that the GP actually referred her to the other doctor. Maybe the GP thought someone else could better evaluate the suitability of the Prozac, and after the consultation, the second doctor concluded she should continue with it.

 

These are all just speculation, but the point is, prescriptions from two different doctors aren't - by themselves - a smoking gun of inappropriate activity. You lack sufficient information to determine the whole story here.

[almond]

You do not doctor shop for an SSRI (Prozac). If there are multiple Xanax scripts, then there is a problem. There is nothing illegal about this. Being prescribed an SSRI and a benzo is a fairly standard treatment for depression/anxiety.

 

I would be more concerned if she had multiple prescriptions for Xanax, from different doctors, very close in time, filled at different pharmacies. It's not illegal, but it's frowned upon, and any of those doctors would be fully within their rights to refuse to treat her again if they found out she was lying to get drugs. It's only illegal if she's selling the drugs. Drug dealing is illegal, so that's when the police get involved.

 

Actually, what you have outlined is definitely illegal.

Edited December 23, 2013 by almond

[awholenewworld]

Really. She's on all of these medications and you're trying to peg something on her for it?! No wonder she has anxiety and depression. Seriously.

[Hazleyez]

I haven't read all the responses but the real issue is if the receipts were from the same pharmacy... Not same doctor. If the pharmacist and insurance co is aware of what she has been subscribed there is not an issue, and definitely nothing illegal. The Pharmacist and insurance companies will throw red flags on anything suspicious. With the increase of subscribe medications being abused there is a heightened awareness. Now if you find multiple receipts from different pharmacies and they are paid for by cash only, there maybe an issue.

[2sunny]

I hope she doesn't drink alcohol while taking her meds.

 

That Xanax with alcohol can really be a nightmare.

 

Has she shown any unusual behavior lately?

[Tayla]

Not an advocate for the pharmaceuticals that are deemed Blended for human use. The Prozac and Xanax are a mixed cocktail that in long term do not fair well together. Whether you care about her or not, this is not a healthy combination. The side affacts alone should be a wake call to change Doctors. Organ damage is common in various studies...ask any gastro enterologist , anything that goes in your body ultimately affacts your gastro...(stomach, intestines, liver, kidney)

 

Without knowing the Doctors goal plan for the patient its hard to decipher if the doctors are in collaboration or if she chose to seek other forms of medicines indepently.

[Misadventure]

Really. She's on all of these medications and you're trying to peg something on her for it?! No wonder she has anxiety and depression. Seriously.

 

 

I don't know the whole scenario.. but seeing as how this is a forum that isn't one where you go to when things are all a bed or roses and unicorns... how about applaud her for getting help.

 

For whatever reason, she needs medicine for anti anxiety and depression.

 

You will find that many readers here have been on it, including myself. I plan on taking a nice nappy one with my hot tea in a bit in fact, it doesn't make me satan, a drug pusher, or incredibly unstable. It means I am under stress, I realize it, and then I need something to help me while I cope.

 

Unless she is taking all of it at once, has multiple scripts in the same thing (which if its the same pharmacy they have a database and check), selling it, or abusing it... then let her be. If she hasn't told you, she probably will in her own time when she is comfortable to, if she is.

 

Again, I don't know the situation etc but at first glance seems like maybe just sit back and give her the benefit of the doubt.

 

Tayla, actually it's pretty standard that some doctors will prescribe a Benzo and a SSRI together, nothing uncommon about Prozac and Xanax together and actually it's usually used to treat Panic Disorders and higher levels of anxiety (used together as a protocol). If she uses something else though like St Johns Wort or other "natural" remedies, it can screw up the system. I know you may not be into medicine, but there is a science to it.

Edited February 17, 2014 by Misadventure

[Yasuandio]

I don't know the whole scenario.. but seeing as how this is a forum that isn't one where you go to when things are all a bed or roses and unicorns... how about applaud her for getting help.

 

For whatever reason, she needs medicine for anti anxiety and depression.

 

You will find that many readers here have been on it, including myself. I plan on taking a nice nappy one with my hot tea in a bit in fact, it doesn't make me satan, a drug pusher, or incredibly unstable. It means I am under stress, I realize it, and then I need something to help me while I cope.

 

Unless she is taking all of it at once, has multiple scripts in the same thing (which if its the same pharmacy they have a database and check), selling it, or abusing it... then let her be. If she hasn't told you, she probably will in her own time when she is comfortable to, if she is.

 

Again, I don't know the situation etc but at first glance seems like maybe just sit back and give her the benefit of the doubt.

 

Tayla, actually it's pretty standard that some doctors will prescribe a Benzo and a SSRI together, nothing uncommon about Prozac and Xanax together and actually it's usually used to treat Panic Disorders and higher levels of anxiety (used together as a protocol). If she uses something else though like St Johns Wort or other "natural" remedies, it can screw up the system. I know you may not be into medicine, but there is a science to it.

 

 

Misadventure, I'm glad you responded to Tayla's Post #13. When I read it, I started getting kind of worried about my own drug treatment for the bi-polar 2. Furthermore, this illness has features of severe anxiety, depression, panic disorder, ADHD, paranoia - probably the worst symptom. Medications are changed frequently. But there are some that are consistent. Two different antidepressants (including Prozac), benzoziopines, and a Mood Stablizer. If there is paranoia - I have to have the anti-psychotic.

 

I have three doctors on my team (Phychiatrist, Phychologist, and Interist). I would like to have Tayla's research citations to show my doctors cause I'm getting frightened about how many drugs I take. That is not even the full list. And I don't act right if I don't take my medicine. Yas