A small number of patients account for an inordinate amount of ER visits. Some say that drug seeking behavior is part of the cause:

Drug-seeking behavior is at the core of the problem, says Neven. Forget the stereotype of homeless people or drunks who just need a place to sleep it off, he says. Many have chronic pain, have been struggling with it for years, and are being prescribed drugs to deal with it. Sometimes they are not getting the result they want and insist on the quick fix the drug provides when delivered by IV or injection, rather than the hard work of physical therapy every day for six months.

Others have figured out that selling painkillers can be a lucrative and relatively safe way to get quick cash. In fact, the non-medical use of prescription drugs is the second-most common form of drug abuse in America, responsible for about 40 percent of drug abuse nationwide. In addition, ER care is by its very nature episodic and uncoordinated, with patients who are supposedly seeking acute care being seen by different doctors and nurses. All of that makes it easier for drug seekers. And because patients cannot be turned away, says Neven, “the fact that we have to see them, have to talk to them “” that has created the beast.”

(via a reader tip)