I appreciate the kind words from everyone. Really I do a good job of venting to my friends Psych Doc and Doc Sensitive. The blog has been fun, but I think when the stories I have run out that will be the end. I received some interesting offers in the last week, so things might be on hold as far as shutting down production....for a little bit.
Anyways back to the stories......
A 63 year old male came in for a medication refill.
Me: "Hello sir, how can I help you today?"
Patient: "I was hoping you could refill my meds for my blood pressure."
Me (few basic history questions then...): "OK, what meds are you on?"
Patient: "I don't know. I have been on them for ten years."
Me: "I need a name if I am going to help you. Do you know what it sounds like, or what it starts with?"
Patient: "No, I just know I have been on it for a long time. Can you refill it?"
Me: "Sir, there are a lot of blood pressure names out there, can you think of anything for me to go with?"
Patient: "No, just refill them dammit!"
It was Sunday afternoon. No primary doc to call. He wasn't in our electronic medical records. He had no clue what the name even sounded like. He couldn't tell me what they looked like. He literally just expected me to be a genie and come up with his meds. I think I even said that at one point. I asked about 20 different questions that I was hoping would spark his memory. Nothing worked. Why the hell even come in?
-ER Doc
7 comments:
I suppose you could put him out in the waiting room with a PDR and see if he sees any pills that look like his. OTOH I don't think elevated BP is his number one problem.
Sunday afternoon = Call the pharmacy he goes to.
Every old timer, including advanced Alzheimer's patients, know the name of their pharmacy.
...as I pointed out to ER Jedi a while back.....
The phone number to the pharmacy, the name and strength of the medication and the number of refills are printed on the label attached to their vials of medication. Only most patients act like it is printed in super-special spy ink invisible to patient eyes.
This reminds me of the customer who came into the library saying "I need a book, in English, with words, to help me with my sentences." After much discussion, I convinced her that a child's dictionary would give her examples of sentences to help her with her spelling homework.
They're all crazy.
A few years, before the concept of auto-refills, ago this women comes to the pharmacy to pick up her scripts. After searching the bins, then checking the computer, we had nothing ready for her.
So, I asked her when she called in her refills. She looked at me astonishingly and said she didn't call them in, and that I should have known what drugs she needed and when to refill them.
She then got mad at me and stormed out when I told that I have a degree in pharmacy, not clairvoyance.
True story.
Rx for foot in the ass.
Ahhh, life as an ED Physican...i so admire you!
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