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CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee officials say doctor shopping has decreased in the three years since the passage of a state law requiring drug history checks before filling painkiller prescriptions.
The Chattanooga Times Free Press reports (http://bit.ly/1mb4AKb ) that during the first year the database was required, it flagged more than 2,000 potential doctor shoppers. According to a Tennessee Department of Health study, that number had dropped by more than 25 percent early this year.
Before the law went into effect, there was little to prevent patients from visiting several doctors to produce more than their prescribed amount of drugs like Vicodin or Xanax.
Under the new law, regular refills of painkillers, anti-anxiety medications and other controlled substances face increased scrutiny, including the database checks and possible urine samples for drug screens.
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Information from: Chattanooga Times Free Press, http://www.timesfreepress.com
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