Doctor-shopping for prescriptions in Tennessee can get you one to six years in jail if you try to do it under TennCare, the state-run Medicaid insurance program. A new state law makes it a crime for TennCare enrollees to fail to disclose a similar prescription obtained within the past month. As well as reducing crime and its associated costs, the new law could have an added benefit: People suffering from prescription drug addiction might decide to avoid the risk of jail time and instead apply for state-funded or private drug rehab.
Although TennCare could prosecute people for selling drugs, until now soliciting fake prescriptions hasnt been illegal in Tennessee, and theres been no easy way to stop the practice. People not currently enrolled in TennCare cannot be charged for doctor shopping under the new law, but state lawmakers are working on a bill that would apply to everyone. And the state’s Controlled Substance Database, in which pharmacists record every controlled substance purchased whether it is through TennCare or not, will help catch them. The database identifies drug abusers, doctors who over-prescribe and pharmacists who over-dispense.