Could my Mom be forging prescriptions?

Question

I found two empty bottle of 2 mg Ativan at her house today. One bottle was for 90 pills and was filled on October 21st.... the other empty bottle was for 2 mg Ativan and was for 135 pills... this one was filled on October 26th. Both bottles have the same doctors name, have different prescription numbers, but one was filled by Rite Aid and the other was filled by mail. Both bottles say "No Refills on them.

Why would a doctor prescribe two seperate prescriptions of Ativan, within a week of each other for such large amounts and have both bottles say "no Refill".

She now has a new bottle of Ativan dated yesterday of 90 pills prescribed by the same doctor.

I am only asking because she has had mental issues which have been worsened by my Fathers death 2 years ago... so she has been tranquilizing herself alot. We are concerned that she may be pulling a fast one somehow to get more pills.

Is this possible to do?

Answer 1

Talk to the doctor and pharmacies. It sounds like she stole the doctors prescription pad and is writing her own. I would also talk to her. If she is taking that much med in so short a time she needs to be watched 24/7. If she is selling them she needs to be stopped. Either way she needs help badly.

Terry

Answer 2

I also read your other question that was asking if 6 mg of Ativan per day is too much. Typically, 2 mg is given 1 to 3 times per day but that is not the maximum a person can take per day. For insomnia due to anxiety or transient situational stress, a single daily dose of 4 mg may be given, usually at bedtime. The most commonly noted side effects associated with this drug are sedation, dizziness, weakness, and unsteadiness. If your mother is mixing the drug and alcohol, these side effects will be amplified.

It is absolutely possible that ANYONE can order this drug over the internet even WITHOUT a prescription. It is also possible that a person can alter a doctor's written prescription. My experience, with a similar benzodiazepine, Xanax, is that I would ask my doctor for a refill over the phone and would also have an office visit scheduled for a week or two later. By the time I spoke to him in person, he forgot that he already called it in to the pharmacy and then would write out a new one...and usually both contained refills! Unfortunately, some doctors are so disorganized that "pulling a fast one" on them isn't that hard to do. Some people go thru two or three different doctors for the same Rx. However, in your mother's case, it's possible the Dr. may have written one Rx for immediate use and one for a 90-day supply to mail-in for insurance reasons. That's actually pretty common. But if she continues to get these 90 and 135 count bottles every couple of weeks, then it sounds like she's overmedicating herself. It's possible that she's really depressed and needs a totally different medication in order to cope with the symptoms she's having.

You could call the doctor's office and ask to speak with either the doctor or his/her nurse. Explain who you are to the DR or RN and what your concerns are. They will be limited to the specific information that they can give you but should certainly be willing to listen and address your concerns. BUT THE BEST THING for you to do would be to talk to your mother. Tell her that you are concerned about the long-term effects of the medication, as it can become addictive. While in many situations taking a prescribed drug is a necessary step to overcoming emotional distress, it is not a definite solution. It is only a crutch used to get through a difficult time. Combining medication with regular talk-therapy; thus getting at the core of the distress, will lead to having to take less and less of the medication until finally it is no longer needed. It could only take a few months to a year, or it could take 5 to 10 years. Each person is different. Just remember to be sensitive and give lots of hugs and tell your loved ones that you love them- no matter how many times it is said, it's never too much.

Good luck and I truely hope things work out for you and your family.

Answer 3

no pharmacist is going to fill a rx for 135 pills for a month for 2 mg..that's 5 pills a day.. normal dosage at 2 mg is 3 a day Max. where did she get filled. the ones filled on Oct. 21 should have lasted here at least 30 days..She is BIG TIME overusing..Sounds like she is addicted. Classic addictice behavior is different pharmacies (rite aid and Mail), different doctors, etc. She can get them by mail without a rx if she pays for an online consult (or free if their from international pharms).. She needs help..big time. I am a recovering addict and I did the same behavior. She needs to be on anti depressants and not just ativan. a doctor would lose his license if he gave her that much ativan...those are restricted drugs...

Answer 4

You asked separately if 6 mg was excessive; my answer was yes. I was surprised a doctor would prescribe 6 mg a day. This new question clears up a lot. I suspect you're onto something. Call the doctor and ask him/her. She's not doctor-shopping, if she's using the same name, but that means it's worse - probably forging.

Don't totally leap to conclusions - she may have been bringing this on gradually and may have two legitimate prescriptions, but didn't need to "cash in" one of them just yet. But in either case, the fact that she's shoring up supplies now means she's upped her intake - either because she's actuall forging, or just has gotten addicted. Either way, let her doctor know.

Answer 5

It is possible but more likely that she is lying to the doctor about losing her prescription. You have a couple of options
1. Confront her - chances are she will lie because whether you want to use the word or not she is a drug addict. She won't stop and she will get sneakier or you maybe very lucky and she will ask for help. Get her to counseling fast.
2. Contact the doctor - he will not be able to tell you about her because of the HIPPA laws but tell him your concerns. He will listen because she is putting his license in jeopardy.
3. Depending on the response of the doctor - contact the medical board about this doctor writing prescription like this.
4. If you can - start to check to make sure her bills are getting paid. If you can find anything that says she is not taking care of her responsibilities contact Adult Protective services. They can make you or someone else a guardian and place her in a program to get help.
5. Understand this will make a relationship with your mother very strained but she will harm herself by her addiction.

Answer 6

Yes, it is possible to do. I just answered another of your questions about this...been in her shoes. One of the symptoms of being addicted to these particular drugs is called "drug seeking behavior" which is what this is...it's very illegal number 1...not just a fast one as they are a controlled substance. The reason they say no refill is because you must go back each time to refill them. Hard to believe but some doctors puposefully get you hooked on the drug so you will come back each month for them. You need to get some help for your mother immediately! I am lcoats727@yahoo if you have questions.

Answer 7

Yes. Your mother is in need of help. It sounds as if she probably got a script @ the docs and copied it so she could get it filled @ the pharmacy and to send the copy to the mail order company. So sounds like perhaps she's not out-n- =out forging yet but if you don't get her to help soon ,she'll probably go further, which could land her in jail.the federal and state governments don't look kindly on this. Also look for more of the same drugs from different docs,which is another cover up for the addiction, as one doc may question her need/want for more.This particular drug is good short term but is very VERY addictive and dependency prone. It makes you numb so you can escape those emotions you need to deal with. You need to approach this with love and not anger.

Answer 8

I take two different ones too. I am DID, and one don't work on all of the people inside. you see people are different. She don't have to have did , it is just sometimes u may need the two to work together to get the releif. They were both written by the same doctor,so he knows what she is takeing. So just ask her about it if you are worried. It can't hurt to ask.


MERRY CHRISTMAS

Answer 9

It relies upon on the place she works. My aunt is a nurse and abused painkillers for years yet she replaced into enable pass from various hospitals without them putting a mark on her checklist of her dropping her license. The pharmacies could be conscious that they could pass lacking for the period of her shift yet they could no longer pinpoint her or did no longer prefer her to lose her license. Granted, this could be a small city in Indiana so i'm specific it can be a larger deal in diverse places or my aunt is properly fortunate (or reliable at conversing her way out of fees). The extra possibly state of affairs is that as quickly as they decide it is your boyfriend's mom whose taking the meds, they're going to checklist her and fire her. you won't be able to die from withdrawal with muscle relaxers or oxycodone. there is easily few issues that could reason you to die in case you wade via withdrawal from it, the only one i will think of of off the acceptable of my head is alcohol. i could advise NA conferences or probable going to a rehab midsection that isn't outpatient.

Answer 10

This is so sad,...you might want to call her doctor in confidence, and let him know what is going on...so she won't o.d. or something...tell him it is imparative, that she doesn't find out, and maybe let her think the pharmacy caught it, if in fact this is what is happening..don't call them though, and tell the doctor she needs her medicine, but you are afraid she is losing touch and you are concerned about her mental state...God Bless...