New PCP

[SHerrin Hutt]

Well. I gave my old PCP the Dear john letter. I had the second app. with my new internest and she started telling me all theses crazy rules she has now. She didn't do the first vist we spent hour and half talking.
1. Rule she doesn't like to right three month scrip for any drugs. ( it cost me the same for 30 days or 3 mo.) I thought this was a little strang!
2. She wants me to get all drugs filled at the same place.( again a little strang) I was just waitng for her to tell were she wanted me to go. (I was thinking kickback)
3 she wants me to go to a pain clinic to meds for majior back pain and migraines but my old primary care told care of all this. Just more Dr's I have to go too!
4. SHe doesn't give allergies shots so now I have to find another dr. on this side river that I can give me my shots.
If she had told me all this stuff up front I wouldn't have return for sure. So now I am looking for another Dr. I have made up another list of questions the next one.
This has turn out to be the most stressful thing ever. I was with my last primary care Dr. for 15 yrs. And it was with great sadness I had to leave because they had changed his office into a drive through Doc in a box. I have already made an app. with another Dr. after the first of the yr. I will go prepared believe me! We all have to learn my our mistakes! Wish me luck

 

[gijanet]

Oh, Sherrin..............

Oh, Sherrin..............

How bizarre! I have never heard of such a list of "rules." I would definitely give her the boot, too! It really does sound like she might have dollar signs in her eyes. Would you have to go back monthly (and paying a copay each time) to get those scrips refilled? Good luck on finding a good doc. You don't realize - until you have some serious health issues - how hard they are to come by. Please keep us posted. Hugs.

 

[Bryan B]

If you're talking about pain medications, those rules don't surprise me at all. The DEA have really made it very difficult for doctors to treat patients with chronic pain.

If you're talking about non-controlled drugs those rules are just plain ridiculous.

 

[SHerrin Hutt]

Hi
She wanted all reg. drugs from the same place & she wanted me to go to a pain specialist for controled subtance. She is a nut! I hope I have better luck with the next one. I really can't go very long without a primary Dr. With my history there is bound for something to go wrong. I am thinkg postive thoughts that I can get through the holidays in good health.My aapp. with the new Doc. is the 1/10.

 

[McCln]

New PCP

Sorry that you had to drop the old PCP and got a crazy one instead. I t reminds me of a cardio I saw once and he had read the meter wrong when he took my blood pressure. Never had a cardio do that before. Next he had me on blood presure med and saying the reading was 500. That was he told me, as I felt the pressure rising as he talked nonsense. I never saw the creep again. Good luck on the next PCP. The good ones are hard to find.

 

[Karlynn]

Sounds like she's taking CYAing to the extreme.

Glad you're still looking for a doctor you can work with - you will find one!

 

[SHerrin Hutt]

Thanks everyone for all support! That is what this web sight is all about.
I got almost all my xmas shopping done and wrapped and under the tree. Mike just finished putting the last of the decoration tonight! He would rather not even put a tree or anything but I love xmas! Maybe because he never had the near death experience that like I have had. I look at every day I wake up a great day. He thinks xmas is for kids but I disagree. I love shopping aand decoration inside and out. All we need now is a little snow. Mike & I decided not to give each other gifts this year because we are planning a cruise for Jan. Somewhere really warm. I really hate the cold weather.I hope he changes when and if some day we have grand children

 

[Abbanabba]

Hi Sherrin, sorry to hear your new doctor is such a freak with rules. Even if she's under some obligation to make these changes, she should have made that clear and explained it. I think if you're not comfortable with someone who is in control of your health care, then you should move on.

Meanwhile, if you're looking for somewhere warmer for Christmas, feel free to drop in down here. The temperature is back up in the 90's - and if you want somewhere REALLY warm, the place I just left has been well over 110 the last few days

I'm with you, I love Christmas! It's great to catch up with friends, family (for most - mine are the exception!), and to indulge in all sorts of yummy treats! I also love all the sparkly decorations and my tree goes up 1st December every year.

Hope the new doctor is more helpful. Keep us posted on how it goes.

All the best,
Anna : )

 

[SHerrin Hutt]

Thanks Anna
For you invite. But I don't think I could get my husband that far. Closest I've been to you was Hawaii on our 25 ann. I would like to go to Europe but it won't be with my husband. I may go with my daughters some day. He likes the caribbean and that is about it except the us and Canda. I tried to get to take a cruise to Alaska but he is not for that either.
Trying to find a new pcp has turned into a real pain. I really loved my old PCp but he wasn't keeping up with the new medical break through and his office staff was awful bad. I am still alive but not for their like of trying. The Dr. himself was Ok but his support staff was a mess. Whan I started with him 18 yrs. ago he was in a office with three others doctors now their office is ran by a local hosp. group and there are 15 dr's in their office and they have offices all over . It like drive through medicine. They have given my youngest the wrong script for medication and just recently they sent my in-laws lab report to my oldest new address. And that is only the minor things they have done.

 

[Lisa in Katy]

The rules don't really seem that strange to me, although I understand that they may be difficult to deal with. When you live in a big city like Houston, there seems to be a different specialist for each square inch of your body. When I was pregnant with my second, I saw the OB/Gyn, Cardiologist, Endocrinologist, IM, Dietician, and people to run non-stress tests on a regular basis. My IM treats temporary diseases - strep, bladder infections, etc. - but for chronic stuff or unusual stuff, I go to a specialist. Last year I saw an ENT for a severe ear infection because he had the equipment to run all the tests and do the procedure to rupture the timpanic membrane. The IM is not trained for this.

Rule number 1 is normal for strong pain meds because of the potential for abuse and yes, CYA. If you have 90 days of one thing, and then they change your prescription and you get 90 days of another, and then you go to another doctor and get 90 days of another, etc., etc. My insurance won't let me have more than a 30 day prescription of controlled substances - not that I've needed to ask lately, thank goodness.

Rule number 2 is for your protection. By having all your prescriptions at one place, the pharmacist can figure out what might cause a drug interaction. Those of us who take Coumadin know that whenever we get another med filled, we expect the pharmacist to tell us of any potential interactions with our Coumadin. There are also a lot of people out there who abuse pain meds, and do multiple doctor and pharmacy visits. One doctor and pharmacy doesn't know what the other has already given.

Rule number 3 is to have a specialist treat your pain. Someone who does this everyday might have treatments that allow you to get off some of the medications that you are currently taking - helping you in the long run.

Rule number 4 - again a specialist might better treat your problems and would be more likely to be "up to date" on all the new treatments that might work better.

I know it's a pain, but I really think the doctor had your best interest in mind. If you have a doctor without these rules, he probably isn't a very good doctor.