How hard can it possibly be??!?!

[AFpheonix]

A lot of the staff from the many offices that I deal with are fine, but there's a few now and again that need a good slap through the phone line.
My most frequent problem is that they flat out don't read the faxes that I send to them. I'll send requests for them to contact the patient's insurance if they don't cover a medicine, or change to another that is covered. They'll send me back refills.
I then fax back the sheet they sent me, put big arrows next to what I wrote and thank them for the refills, but that I really needed a prior authorization.

There was one occasion where a med that was prescribed had been discontinued by the manufacturer. I sent them a faxed request explaining that fact and let them know what strengths were still available. 3 tries later, they were still sending me the original strength, and I'd fax them back, circling what I'd written originally, making it painfully obvious what we needed. Finally, some chick called me up and attempted to bawl me out....until she finally got to the message line and READ what I'd been telling them this entire time....apologized, and hung up.
They then proceeded to send me the same goddamned script with the same discontinued medicine.

At that point, I called the office and grumped at the first person I got, and that FINALLY got me a corrected script. Jeebus.

[Tigress]

Here's some stories from my family practitioner back when I was living in po-dunk-town:

When I was a teenager, I grew "out" before I grew "up." So at every single physical, I got the "lose weight" speech. There was nothing wrong with me physically. I could keep up with my peers athletically for the most part. Most of it went one ear and out the other, especially when he told me that I shouldn't eat sandwiches and that I should try the Atkin's diet. The catch? I'm a vegetarian and sandwiches were a quick and healthy staple of my diet.

This same winner wanted to do a Pap smear on me and threatened to tell my mother that I was "uncooperative" if I refused. The year prior, I had a very traumatic experience (long story short: Never do a Pap smear on a 17-year-old virgin. She may end up in the emergency room afterwards.) I was 18 at the time, so I could have flatly refused, but I didn't know I could at the time. He finally backed off when I started screaming (from both pain and latent PTSD). Then he stated that I "exhibited anxiety" during the exam, suggested I learn to masturbate to loosen up my canal and prescribed Paxil.

One of the last times I went to see him was for a yeast infection. I had one before, knew the symptoms, and just came to pick up a prescription for the medicine. Somehow, they got me to mention that I was sexually active, so they insisted on doing tests for pregnancy. When I told them that I was on the Pill, they then wanted to do a test for kidney infection, telling me in not so many words that they were the professionals and I couldn't possibly know what's going on with my own damned body. They made me wait for two hours while all these unnecessary tests were done and finally did the test for the yeast infection. I was right, they gave me my prescription and I swore never to go back again.

But the funniest incident was when I went for a physical and the nurse asked me what birth control I was on. I looked at her like she dumbed creamed corn on herself and said "none." She got a stern tone as if addressing someone that committed murder and asked "WHY NOT?" I got just as indignant and responded that I was a virgin. 15 minutes later the doc came in to praise me for "keeping my virginity for so long." Not long afterwards, I had my "first time."

[Hemily]

i should change doctor really, the one i have, is a alcoholic... most the apointments i get, gets cancelled after i've been waiting for 2 hours "sorry, seems he's not showing up to work today" how he even has a job... is beyond me...

[BookstoreEscapee]

. Who told him that people are too reliant on medication and to drink 4 liters of Pepsi.

OK, he may have a point about the medicine, but if it's truly strep that's not something you wanna mess with. I get tonsillitis all the time, which doesn't necessarily need antibiotics every time, but if they do a culture and they know it's strep, then heck yeah I'm gonna want drugs!

No one ever told me to drink Pepsi! and what if I prefer Coke? Can I add rum? After all, alcohol's antiseptic, right?

[digilight]

Holy creamed corn.... I think I'll start counting my lucky stars that my only complaint about doctors is relativily minor (and really centers around corporate BS). In our area there was (until dec 31 2006) a very large practice (probably had over 50 doctors of different disciplines including specalties and GPs, Peds, etc, even their own after hours care) that probably serviced close to half the community (figure around 100,000 plus active clients). They were bought out by Kaiser. Well by doing so over half the doctors left the practice (Kaiser also wouldn't sign contract for the older doctors) so luckily our kids doctor went to private practice and we found a new practice for the wife and myself. Well you can imagine what happens when all the patients who could no longer be seen by the form practice (we'll just call them BMG cause I'm not gonna hide their name). our new practice is rather hard to get in for an appointment at times (they have like 4 drs and 2 nurse practicioners and they are allways running at least an hour behind schedule. I will say though, that I've had to see them about 4 times allready since the switch (sprained wrist, and now asmatic bronchitas, yeah I can't spell either) and I've seen the nurse practicioner and she's been great. I love the fact that most people don't want to see the NP and only want the Dr. I actually prefer dealing with NPs (they have great training, and spend more time with you then the Drs tend to. But to see how crowded the offices have become (and I'm sure its the same way at quite a few Dr's Offices around here since BMG had facilities in both Ventura and Oxnard and accepted all kinds of insurance including Blue Cross, Blue Sheild, Kaiser, PPO's HMO's, probably some Medicare, and tons of other plans as well. Now that they only take Kaiser, and not everyone wants or can get Kaiser thats a shitton of new patients on the market. (The poor office staff's, trying to keep up with it all)

[BookstoreEscapee]

I love the fact that most people don't want to see the NP and only want the Dr.

For general check-ups and stuff I generally prefer to see one particular doc, mostly because he's the one who originally prescribed my medication. But if it's something like tonsillitis or an ear infection or something, I'll take whoever's available. And usually the NP is easier to get an appointment with. Last time I had tonsillitis I called Monday morning and got an appt. with her for 1:30 the same day. If I had tried to see my usual doc I would probably have had to wait several days if not till the next week.

[myswtghst]

I also had some fun in college. Our health center was useless (they usually just assumed/accused you of being pregnant, and ignored the actual issue) and had no parking, and the nearest hospital was in the ghetto. Not kidding.

I eventually figured out that right off campus, behind one of my favorite restaurants, was a little "After Hours Clinic" with a few docs, kind of an off-shoot of the local hospital. They were fantastic, and quick, great for when I get my annual/bi-annual sinus infections (which I'm in the midst of right now, joy.) and just needed to get meds.
Only problem was, they had some kind of miscommunication with my insurance, and I'd randomly not be billed, then have 4 visits billed all at once. It was all resolved in the end, but my dad tried to convince me to stop going there, and to go back to the health center on campus. Didn't happen.

[wagegoth]

My doctor is pretty good, and his staff is helpful, except for one of the NPs. The one that only comes in on Fridays is awesome. We get along great and she really listens.

The Monday through Thursday one is a condescending b***h, who talks down to me, and then treats me as though I'm lying. She's one of those people who thinks she's an expert because of her bit of training. There are some in every field.

Most recently, I was having a series of kidney infections, and getting paranoid, as one time I ended up in the ER after two days, in agony, dangerously dehydrated, and hallucinating. So I have a couple of symptoms, I'm worried, I'm going to see the doctor. The test is negative. She starts lecturing me about my water intake. I tell her that I deliberately buy bottled water in certain sizes so that I know that I am getting at least 2 quarts or more of water a day. She tells me that I must be mistaken. Um, no, I just explained why I wouldn't be.

She then tries to talk to me about my mental health and depression and treatment, even though she's not a psychiatrist or psychologist, and I have a psychiatrist who is world-renowned speaker and author in his field. I was upset, I did start to cry, but I had just lost my grandmother (with whom I had lived for several years when young), had had the worst holiday season ever thanks to my MIL's psycho behavior, was achingly tired due to a virus that just hung on, and had already been to the doctor three times in the last two months with UTIs. I left the office and haven't gone back.

I really hate her, and people like her.