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The medical system
Feb. 22nd, 2008 10:26 am"These pharmacists!" I exclaimed to my sick husband as I came back from the freezing cold outside. He sat there looking perplexed and amused (hubby is a non-practicing pharmacist). "they are so bad!" I continued.
"What happened?" he asked, looking sick and sipping on hot tea and awaiting to give me a surprise.
As I removed my boots and coats, I continued, "You know I went to pick up the magic wash, I had to sign off that I picked up the prescription. On the log book there were a few columns and I was trying to read it. There were two main columns; one was if I wanted to talk to the pharmacist about the prescription and the second was if I decided not to talk about the prescription with the pharmacist. Well, I was going to sign under wanting to talk to the pharmacist about the prescription, because I couldn't read the directions written by the doctor. The pharmacist had the nerve to point me to sign under the other column! I let her know that I still had a question about the prescription, I couldn't read it. She just opened the bottle that had the printed instructions attached to it and wished me goodbye!"
I continued in all my excitement, "I thought pharmacists are supposed to tell you more about what to do and how to do, and also what not to do!! Especially when the patient wants to find out!"
We then opened the paper attached to the bottle and saw that there was no details about the "ingredients" that made the magic wash. Even my hubby was a bit surprised. It printed, "monograph* not available at this time". I guess what they say is true, the magician doesn't give the secret away! Yes, the medicine prescribed was really called magic wash!
But I can see why there are more possibilities of mixing medicines and causing in fatal mistakes. Each player in the equation has a part to play in the health of the patient. The patients themselves - sharing openly all medications they are on with the doctor (I take the medicine boxes with me, as I have no clue what the chemicals are); the doctor - listening to the patient and explaining what to do; and the pharmacist - explaining the goods and the bads of the prescription filled and make sure that the patient understands. N says the pharmacist is supposed to make the patient repeat what was said to him/her! At the end of the day listen to the patient and make sure he/she is reassured that they would get better!!
And our doctor's visit experience wasn't too reassuring either.
Yesterday morning we got ready and headed to the Doctor's as N was sick with a flu and it didn't seem to be getting better. We drove to this urgent care close by. It was a place we were trying for the first time. And of course, the first things we heard, "your insurance card & ID" and a 3 page form was given to be filled. The first two pages were the usual, names & places and insurance info. The third page was the symptoms list and then medical history that asked any medical history, what medications the patient is on. The forms were filled and submitted and we waited. and waited. An hour and half later we were called by a nurse and took us to the doctor's room, where she did the preliminary questioning. She had in hand another form filling up the same information that we had spent filling an hour earlier. N was sick and annoyed by this time. He asked her politely still why they were making him repeat the same questions, when he came in with a sore throat and had a tough time talking. The nurse, it was her first day, casually remarked that was for the medical records and this form will be looked at by the doctor. hmmm.. how many trees do we chop off for this silly procedure?!
And then we waited.
The doc came in and sped through the whole consultation. We were out of there in less than five minutes. She looked and prodded but N felt he wasn't listened to. I also concurred with him. With a prescription for some magic wash (yes, it's called that) and some suggestion for over the counter medicine, we were out in the cold weather.
At the end of it all, my hubby thought I looked cute when I was venting. sigh.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* monograph - gives details about the medication given
"What happened?" he asked, looking sick and sipping on hot tea and awaiting to give me a surprise.
As I removed my boots and coats, I continued, "You know I went to pick up the magic wash, I had to sign off that I picked up the prescription. On the log book there were a few columns and I was trying to read it. There were two main columns; one was if I wanted to talk to the pharmacist about the prescription and the second was if I decided not to talk about the prescription with the pharmacist. Well, I was going to sign under wanting to talk to the pharmacist about the prescription, because I couldn't read the directions written by the doctor. The pharmacist had the nerve to point me to sign under the other column! I let her know that I still had a question about the prescription, I couldn't read it. She just opened the bottle that had the printed instructions attached to it and wished me goodbye!"
I continued in all my excitement, "I thought pharmacists are supposed to tell you more about what to do and how to do, and also what not to do!! Especially when the patient wants to find out!"
We then opened the paper attached to the bottle and saw that there was no details about the "ingredients" that made the magic wash. Even my hubby was a bit surprised. It printed, "monograph* not available at this time". I guess what they say is true, the magician doesn't give the secret away! Yes, the medicine prescribed was really called magic wash!
But I can see why there are more possibilities of mixing medicines and causing in fatal mistakes. Each player in the equation has a part to play in the health of the patient. The patients themselves - sharing openly all medications they are on with the doctor (I take the medicine boxes with me, as I have no clue what the chemicals are); the doctor - listening to the patient and explaining what to do; and the pharmacist - explaining the goods and the bads of the prescription filled and make sure that the patient understands. N says the pharmacist is supposed to make the patient repeat what was said to him/her! At the end of the day listen to the patient and make sure he/she is reassured that they would get better!!
And our doctor's visit experience wasn't too reassuring either.
Yesterday morning we got ready and headed to the Doctor's as N was sick with a flu and it didn't seem to be getting better. We drove to this urgent care close by. It was a place we were trying for the first time. And of course, the first things we heard, "your insurance card & ID" and a 3 page form was given to be filled. The first two pages were the usual, names & places and insurance info. The third page was the symptoms list and then medical history that asked any medical history, what medications the patient is on. The forms were filled and submitted and we waited. and waited. An hour and half later we were called by a nurse and took us to the doctor's room, where she did the preliminary questioning. She had in hand another form filling up the same information that we had spent filling an hour earlier. N was sick and annoyed by this time. He asked her politely still why they were making him repeat the same questions, when he came in with a sore throat and had a tough time talking. The nurse, it was her first day, casually remarked that was for the medical records and this form will be looked at by the doctor. hmmm.. how many trees do we chop off for this silly procedure?!
And then we waited.
The doc came in and sped through the whole consultation. We were out of there in less than five minutes. She looked and prodded but N felt he wasn't listened to. I also concurred with him. With a prescription for some magic wash (yes, it's called that) and some suggestion for over the counter medicine, we were out in the cold weather.
At the end of it all, my hubby thought I looked cute when I was venting. sigh.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* monograph - gives details about the medication given
