Here in Canada, our health system is publicy funded but we have our own monitoring system called Pharmacare, which keeps a computer database of every prescription you have filled, no matter which pharmacy you go to. Every pharmacy of every chain, from a mom and pop's place to a Safeway has to have pharmacare, so any of these places you go into can see what your last prescription was, for how much, who the dr. was that made the prescription, etc, etc.
This does help eliminate doctor shopping, which is what they wanted, as well as keep people from inadvertently killing themselves by mixing medications. Saving us from ourselves, yet again!
I don't like it that the pharmacist can see my history, and place me into a certain category, such as potential drug seeker, or doctor shopper if they see certain patterns of behavior, especially for benzos. I've had personal experience with this and it's interesting because they're more nervous about confronting me about it than I am.
Maybe because I know I can use an overseas pharmacy if they get all big brother on me, so I don't make excuses. I tell them I rely on a large doze of benzos to control my anxiety disorder, and I tell them that I'm aware they can be addictive, and I have to be careful, and I try to take as few as possible, but I need to function, and it seems that being reasonable sort of throws them off.
At least now I know that if they refuse me I can go elsewhere. It's about a hundred times more expensive, but at least I don't have to explain myself to anyone. Except for the authorities if they ever come knocking on my door.
I remember having a long conversation with my pharmacist asking him about alternatives to benzos, and what I could take that would help me with my anxiety because he was concerned with me taking them long term, and he couldn't make a single suggestion except melatonin to help me sleep.