doctor shop
Americanverb (used with or without object)
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to obtain prescriptions for a controlled substance from more than one healthcare practitioner at a time.
Some patients doctor shop in an attempt to score multiple prescriptions for painkillers.
One theory about the celebrity’s fatal overdose is that the medication may have been doctor-shopped.
-
to visit one physician after another in search of a satisfactory one or a particular outcome.
The patient appears to have schizophrenia, and to have doctor shopped for a diagnosis of autism.
Other Word Forms
- doctor shopper noun
- doctor-shopper noun
Etymology
Origin of doctor shop
First recorded in 1970–75; back formation from doctor shopping ( def. )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"If we stay home as much as possible, and wear masks when we have to go to the doctor, shop for groceries or go for a hike, California can come out of this in a way that saves lives and puts us on a path toward economic recovery," Newsom previously said.
From Fox News
Fields said the medical community recognizes the extent of the opiate addiction problem in the state and supports the law as a way to improve tracking of painkiller prescriptions and to identify patients who attempt to doctor shop to get more pills.
From Washington Times
“Physicians should aim to control pain and improve patient satisfaction while avoiding overprescribing opioids. Most patients truthfully represent their levels of pain, but unfortunately, a small percentage of patients use opioids non-therapeutically and ‘doctor shop’ for additional opioids, making this a delicate balancing act for orthopedic surgeons.”
From Forbes
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services should restrict seniors shown to “doctor shop” for prescriptions from accessing such drugs.
From BusinessWeek
"The 'cruitin' ossifer 'n' the man 't keeps the doctor shop made me shuck myself, 'n' then they 'xamined my teeth, 'n' thumped me in the ribs, 'n' rubbed down my legs, 'n' looked at my hoofs, same 's if 'I'd bin a hoss they wuz buyin', but they didn't say nothin' 'bout my finger-nails."
From Project Gutenberg
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
