A little hospital rant...

[draggar]

My wife is on some heavy narcotics for pain (she has prosthetic hips) and on a regular basis needs to go to the hospital to pick up the paper scripts (since they can't be called in anymore). They can only be filled a day or two early meaning when she calls them to get the, gets to the pharmacy and has them filled, she's usually on the last day's worth.

She called in yesterday morning to have them written so she can pick them up. We didn't hear anything. She called again this afternoon and it turns out that she needs to make an appointment to see her doctor in order to get them.

No one told us this the last time we picked them up nor did they say this when she called them in and no one called us back about it. (Without her meds she is in a lot of pain and cannot function, she's better off spending the entire day in bed.)

Now the bad news - no one was available to see her today or tomorrow and the clinic isn't open on Friday so she'd either have to wait until Monday or to go the ER.

Waiting until Monday is out of the question especially over the holiday weekend and..

GO TO THE ER??? I'm sure that would go over well! Hey! I'm here to renew my prescription! What a great waste of resources, let alone the $500 deductible that we can't afford.

What is really annoying is that it seems that our clinic has turned their back to us. While I do admit it's a holiday weekend, flu season kicking in, we were never told that she would need to see our doctor. Not when we picked up the last set of scripts (and I was with her since we were going out), when she called them in yesterday, and no one called us to let us know of the issue.

My wife called someone (I don't remember who - maybe the insurance company?) to see if she can go see another doctor tomorrow morning.

I guess it's time to start looking for a new primary care physician (I'll let my wife take the lead on this - I have very few medical needs outside of an Albuterol inhaler, the occasional need for Advair, and Flonase. (Despite being a little overweight, I'm relatively healthy).

[fab]

Sorry to hear that. Hope all goes well.

[Gerry]

Pain management is tough. That is what put me in the hospital seven times between July and September 2008.

I don't know the laws of every state, but some states require BY LAW that the physician ordering the narcotic prescription to see the patient on a routine basis and PROHIBITS the writing of narc scripts. A great deal of this is required to keep their DEA licensing requirements.

If your wife is not enrolled into a pain clinic get a referral immediately. Those docs are highly skilled and educated. Their credentials require them to spend many more years in study, research, and fellowships beyond their MD skills. Most are anesthesiologists and neuro docs - someone who knows about pain and pain management and origins.

Best of luck to you.

[stock_post]

Sorry Dragger - Hope her pain will go away soon.
and I wish she don't have to see the doctor any more.