Rhea County woman charged with doctor shopping for prescription drugs

Nashville, Tenn. (WDEF) — The Office of Inspector General and the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office say 29 year old Charity Marie Ellis of Spring City has been arrested and charged in Hamilton County for doctor shopping for prescription drugs.

The Office of Inspector General defines doctor shopping as “the crime of using TennCare to visit multiple doctors in a short period of time to obtain prescription drugs.”

Officials say Ellis, also known as Charity Flerl, was doctor shopping for the painkillers such as Hydrocodone, Torodol and Tramadol, using TennCare to pay.

She has been charged with 5 counts of TennCare fraud by doctor shopping, according to the Office of Inspector General.