General
drug seeker
What does drug seeker mean?
A patient believed to be attending chiefly to secure controlled drugs rather than for genuine medical need.
"Third ED in a week asking for the same opioid — classic drug seeker."
Origin
Descriptive clinical/nursing slang.
Frequently asked questions
What is a 'drug seeker'?
It's a patient suspected of attending mainly to obtain controlled drugs, such as opioids, rather than for a genuine medical need.
Is 'drug seeker' a fair label?
It's contested. Some genuine pain and dependence cases get mislabelled this way, so the term is increasingly viewed as stigmatizing.
Where is the term used?
In emergency departments and other clinical settings as informal staff slang.
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