I'm so really ticked at my physician right now. I have gone to him for 10 yrs and his aunt for 10 years before that. He treated me for a Uti about 5months ago. Well I'm on vacation at DisneyWorld and I could tell I'm getting another one. I called his office to see of they'd call in a script for me. The staff told me he said no, I should go to an urgent care center to get the test. I asked to talk to him and they put me on hold. I had explained where I was and that I had no car.
I was starting to feel bad and only had one or two doses of AZO Pyridium with me. I had the name of a pharmacy that would deliver to out hotel and my doctor wouldn't do me the courtesy of calling in a Rx for something I had just been tested for 5 months ago!
Also, last month, my pharmacy called him for a refill on my Lunesta, which I use prn. I reminded the staff that I had a physical scheduled for the following week. He told me I had to come in the next day instead of the following week if I wanted a refill. I thought this was wierd and controlling for a Rx I have had for several years.
Well, yesterday while I was holding for him to come to the phone, I called another physician that I know and he called in the Rx within a couple hours. I didn't really want to go to him as a physician because I work with him.
So what are your thoughts about my physician's lack of help when I needed something? On vacation and need some cipro? Too much to ask?! He's a good physician but I hate that he's so inflexible. I want someone who will work with me, especially based on my loyal hx.
I should also add, I had already had my annual physical. My physician orders labs on me 3 times a year due to being on a statin. I have to come in to get the results and to get my scripts filled. He will not give results on the phone.
So I wondered how my insurance would feel about me going for an office visit for normal labs!
I wouldn't leave him.
I don't blame you at all for being frustrated (and I hope you feel better soon, by the way), but good doctors don't just whip out the Rx pad without some form of evidence of need. Ziggy is right- what if you are wrong and there is something else going on?
Once you get home and feel better, have a think about all of this. Sounds like you actually have a pretty good doctor!
Change doctors. He is pushing you for appointments that you don't really need and you don't want this inflexibility. I'd go to the doctor you work with.
You do know that O. bad kidney infection can do permanent damage, right? I
What if he was treating a uti ( per YOUR self diagnosis) and it was something more serious?
As for sleep aids? They're not Chicklets. They need to be monitored.
I don't think he's being controlling. I think he's looking out for your overall health.
I understand that it seems obvious to you that you have a UTI, but what if you're wrong? There are actually many things it could also be. What kind of doctor would he be if he didn't even consider the alternatives?
My doctor also makes me come in each year for a physical before renewing my prescription. It's the smart thing to do. He needs to make sure my needs are the same and make sure nothing about my health has changed.
Your doctor isn't trying yo be a pain in the butt. He's trying to make sure he doesn't overlook anything.
Your doctor is following the law and best medical practices.. My doctor has done the same thing.
Cipro is an an antibacterial. This time you may have a viral infection. When we take antibiotics unnecessarily not only do we build up a resistence but we are contributing to a worldwide resistence to anibiotics.
I used Lunesta. My doctor would not keep refilling the prescription because it can be habit forming. A doctor is required to monitor it's use. Why couldn't you wait a few days to have prescription filled. I suggest needing it now is a reason for concern.
Another possibility is that other patients have abused drugs prescribed by him causing him to be more careful.
If he has treated you well for 10 years I certainly wouldn't stop seeing him now. I would ask him about his policy.
I used to go to the office to pick up orders for tests. My insurance was not
charged for an office visit. Now the orders are in the computer so I don't have to go to tge office first.
I understand being upset. At the same time you are being inflexible by demanding the doctor vary from his policy. How he handles prescriptions is a very small part of his practice. I would be more concerned about how he treated illness. If you can find a doctor whose prescription policy is more to your liking and as skilled in diagnosing and treating illness do switch doctors. Know that it will take time for a new doctor to be up to speed on your needs.
He's looking out for you. Give him a break. You are on vacation and want a repeat RX now. In my opinion your Dr. is not being inflexible... Just cautious if your repeated requests.
Real story here....( I never ever call my Dr so this was not a routine call from me). I was on vacation, suddenly was sure of uti, called my Dr. and he called in a routine RX to a local pharmacy. Shortly after my first dose, I was very sleepy. Hubby noted this and did not allow me to sleep more than 1 hour at a time after 1st dose. Long story short.... I either was allergic to the RX OR the pharmacist gave me the wrong drug. My dr said I should have been in the ER. I'm ok and to this day those 2 RX are on my allergy list.
So don't be so hard on your dr. He's given you more than one RX via phone ... Maybe he is truly looking out for you???
Well, I think that you should leave any doctor that is not meeting your needs.
I think the whole UTI thing was a bit silly. UTIs ARE pretty obvious if you have had them before. Although I do understand the not diagnosing over the phone, you were asking for a pretty mild type antibiotic to treat the UTI....not a narcotic pain killer. I don't think that there are huge adverse side effects from taking a antibiotic if it was not a UTI. At any rate, their office could have helped you find a more reasonable solution given your situation. In your place, I probably would have ordered cranberry juice and OTC UTI meds and hoped for the best.
As for the Lunesta, I think that he could have refilled enough pills to get you through to your appointment since it was already scheduled.
Ugh! UTI's are awful! I feel badly you are having one on vacation! I get you want your doctor to call in something but it can be complicated. UTI symptoms can be the result of several conditions. Also, there are certain antibiotics used for different UTI bugs. I get these often too and I always have to go in so my doctor can determine what is the best course of action. I have had some luck with doing over the counter treatments from a drugstore: cranberry supplements extra concentrated. I have a pill that is like drinking 3 gallons of cranberry juice. Also, I would get more AZO pills. If symptoms persist after 24 hours and after trying OTC treatments I would go to emergent care. Hope you feel better soon.
Consider that laws are changing daily and calling in an rx across state lines is a dif process and some states don't even allow an out of state rx... Maybe he's been audited recently, maybe those above him are cracking down on call ins... Who knows? Find out the reasons, or don't, or find a dif doctor, you're clearly not happy.
I agree with the others that while you might be correct in your self-diagnosis, you also might not be. He didn't just tell you to wait until you got home... he said to go to urgent care (where they could do a test and know for sure AND prescribe). You were too inconvenienced to do so, it sounds like. Disney World is Orlando, FL. That's a long way from IL if you had some reaction or your self-diagnosis was wrong.
If you are staying on site, there might even be a facility someone on site you could go to. Did you call your resort and ask? I KNOW there is taxi service. No, it isn't ideal. But it might be better than treating for a wrong diagnosis.
As for the other? I would think he could call in a week's worth of refill (although, sometimes that is WAY more expensive per pill than getting a longer term amount of medication), or tried to move your annual physical appt up. Moving the appt up might not have been possible (without rescheduling others who may also have urgent needs). But I honestly don't know if the law allows for doctor's to prescribe certain meds without physically seeing you. I'm not familiar with AZO Pyridium. Maybe you should ask him about that for future reference. If you don't like what he has to say, then you are always free to change to someone else.
But there are no guarantees you will like someone else any better, or that their office policies won't change in the future as well.
Blame Obama. lol Good luck!
I don't know your age - but statins are nasty stuff. if your cholesterol is high? Try changing your diet.
I'm sorry - I'm with the doctor - FIVE MONTHS is a LONG time. NO, I wouldn't change. I would respect him for telling me no. You are NOT a doctor, right? So you don't know if it was a UTI or something worse. Just because it "felt the same" doesn't mean it was...kinda like yeast infections - it MAY feel like one but doesn't mean it IS.
Do you realize the situation YOU put him in by asking him to write you a script?? You don't know it was a UTI...I would be upset with the doctor that DID write the script...
Good luck!
He's a good doc. The laws have changed. They won't call in anything for anyone. That's a thing of the past, just like housecalls are.
It's time to change our way of thinking. We have to go in to the doc each and every time now.
If you have a med that you know when you need it then make an appointment with the doc and visit with him about getting an open prescription for it when you're going to be traveling.
I get those when I travel too because I get dehydrated and even if I drink the same amount of water I am up moving more, sweating more, and standing where my feet and legs swell up.
So I always talk to the doc and get my Lasix refilled before I go anywhere.
Having suffered with UTI's in the past, I can totally relate to your frustration. You know when you have a UTI if you get them regularly. Yes, if you keep getting them, you need to look at other causes. In this scenario, I would expect my doctor to call in the antibiotics and schedule a follow up visit thje next week when I return, just to be sure the infection has cleared. That would cover all bases. An urgent care place isn't going to check for kidney infections- they are going to do a pee stick test for blood/bacteria and give you a scrip for antibiotics. The doc was covering his own butt, good for him, but it would be nice if he was more focused on your well being. As others have said, you were not looking for Vicodin...
I second the cranberry supplements.
I'd be annoyed and probably switch physicians. I don't get UTI's anymore, but in the past I used to get them very frequently. I knew if I had one - how could you not? The doctor I had at that time would just call in a script.
Change doctors.
Also - the whole 'over use' of antibiotics story as it applies to medical use is a crock of manure.
Four fifths of all antibiotics produced are used in animal feed.
As long as that is going on, germs will be strengthened whether you use a antibiotic medication or not.
I've successfully argued with doctors over this - they start their over use speech and I tell them what I know - and they know their speech is useless and they usually prescribe the medication.
http://www.livescience.com/20090-antibiotics-farm-animals...
I take daily cranberry supplements and I have not had a single UTI since I began doing that.
You were out of state; he needed to see you in order to prescribe; and he wants to keep his license and good standing,which he might jeopardize if he prescribes over the phone without seeing you. He was right; you may be convinced you had a UTI (and likely you did) but he cannot guarantee that without seeing you himself -- even if he, too, feels sure it's another UTI. For him, it's not worth possibly getting investigated just to keep one patient, even one he's had for 10 years.
Your insurer and not your doctor may be the source of the issue with the Lunesta and having to come in to be seen for that.
I would not have expected a script to be called in based on a UTI 5 months ago. There is no way of knowing that you have the same thing. And he's calling it in out of state to boot. That's because you don't have a car and aren't sick enough to take a cab to a walk-in facility or see the hotel about a physician who caters to their guests.
As others have said, there is so much litigious activity and malpractice insurance issues, plus the oversight from insurance companies. Doctors are really prisoners to this stuff. However, they are also dealing with poor reimbursement and write-offs with insurance companies and they are not making the income people think they are.
On the other hand, I don't understand why you need to go into the office to get the results of lab tests unless there is a serious problem that needs discussion. If you had a physical scheduled for the next week, I would think that the pharmacy would either advance you a week's worth of meds (a lot do this) or the physician's office would have called in a half prescription to tide you over. So you had to do 2 visits instead of one, and you paid for both? Sounds a bit much.
The point is, you don't like this doctor. You say he is "a good physician" but what does that mean? He's responsive, available, and has good bedside manner? I don't think so. The point is, you're not happy. Since you work with a physician you like, ask that one for a referral to someone who would match your personality and needs better.
When are (usually male) doctors going to understand that having a UTI, or a bladder infection or whatever other female problems we have are not a wait til next week's appointment to solve it? and there are so many of us that need it now! somehow we must get this across out there that it is time they should be allowed to do 'cipro' or something else over the phone to help. I am going to guess that a great deal of us aren't going to take advantage of them and sell it on the black market.We need it!
Anymore a lot of dr's won't fill a script without seeing you. I have sinus infections a lot and my doc knows it but I still have to see her to get a script.
As far as seeing the doc after testing my doc sends a letter explaining my results. I don't have to go back in unless there is a problem. Sometimes I think they just want more money. When you see the doc you have to pay them. Good luck and sorry you're not feeling well on your trip.
I think he did the right thing. I think they sell over the counter UTI meds now.
