Prescription Drug Abuse, Doctor Shopping & the Role of Medicaid

Prescription drug abuse is a serious and growing public health problem. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drug overdoses, including those from prescription drugs, are the second leading cause of deaths from unintentional injuries in the U.S., exceeded only by motor vehicle fatalities. Unlike addiction to heroin and other drugs that have no accepted medical use, addiction to some controlled substances can be unknowingly financed by insurance companies and public programs, such as Medicare. This book examines the prescription drug abuse problem in the U.S., along with doctor shopping and the role of Medicaid in this health care crisis.