Drug seeking behavior--a differential approach.

"Drug seeker" is a common term for patients who are perceived to be seeking drugs that might be abused or used in an illegal fashion. While there are patients who seek drugs for totally illegitimate reasons, most of these patients have some type of underlying medical issue. A differential model is proposed using four categories of seeker. The first is fraudulent behavior, second is addictive disease, third is under-treated symptomatology such as pain, and last is psychiatric disorders. Each area is discussed with useful examples of behavior in each category. With a good working knowledge of these areas described, physicians can more effectively manage this difficult group of patients.