Doctor Shopping Prevalent in Nevada
The Nevada crime of doctor shopping is becoming a major area of concern in Las Vegas in both legal and public health arenas. According to the Las Vegas Sun, Nevada residents ingested more hydrocodone pills in 2006 than did the residents of any other state. Furthermore, the number of deaths caused by prescription pills in Clark County is greater than those caused by illegal drugs or car collisions.
The Nevada crime of doctor shopping occurs when someone knowingly obtains a prescription from a new doctor while currently being treated with the same prescription with another doctor without revealing this to the new doctor. It doesn't matter whether the doctor supplies the drug directly or writes a prescription for it. Since this is an intent crime, a person may not be convicted of this offense if they genuinely didn't know they were getting the prescription from two different doctors or if they forgot about it.
The Nevada crime of doctor shopping is a category C felony. Punishments include a prison sentence of one to five years and maybe a fine of up to $10,000. But if the judge believes the defendant is a drug addict, he/she may get a suspended sentence and be allowed to go to rehab in lieu of jail.
