Doctors - I'm beginning to hate them (page 2)

Lady Lee

I just hate it when something is actually working and they tell "NO"

I know the feeling.... In my line of work I am constantly looking for ways to improve customer service and streamline process. I'm like, "Let's get on with it people, and get the job done!" It is excruciating for me to be stuck in the medical system dragged from waiting room to waiting room, observing all the inefficient and DEHUMANIZING activity. It makes me crazy. If I could, I'd switch "companies", but of course, in health care you don't always have the choice.

Recently, my doctor quit. She just quit, didn't warn her patients, sent the files to storage. The doctor's office did not pick up her caseload. There's a shortage of GP's in our city. The receptionist advised there would be a fee to remove my file from storage and suggested a Medicentre. I was so enraged I responded in monosyllables and hung up. As you well know, Lady Lee, continuity is key. As we get older, our chronic and hereditary problems follow us along, and I want a GP who is familiar with my history so I don't have to repeat myself ad nauseum.

The good news is that I found another doctor within a few days, and he seems all right. I came in with two sheets of paper, neatly outlining my medical history. "Boy, this is organized" he said. Darn rights. Like I wanted to have to do this in the first place.

My WORST story of patient misues, IMO, was an experience I had at a megastore pharmacist.

I started off on the wrong line. Did you know that pharmacies now have an incoming and outgoing booth? I didn't.
I was told the order would take twenty minutes. Fine, I went off and did twenty minutes of shopping.
I came back, and there was a twenty minute lineup to the "outgoing" booth.
I carefully observed the one girl on the outgoing booth. Each order was kept in it's own baskets. There was no rhyme or reason for the location of baskets, or any way to track where those baskets were in the process. She dutifully checked each order as the person came to the booth, ran around looking in a half-dozen locations, then invariably told the patient the order "is not ready yet" and told the person to stand aside for twenty minutes as she took the next person in line.
If you were keeping track, we are now up to an average of sixty minutes per order.
It was my turn. I was fuming. See above for my low tolerance for this kind of dehumanizing, "take a number" excuse for "service".
I said, "I don't want my prescription any more. Please retrieve it and I will fill it elsewhere."
The poor girl's eyes widened with shock and then she ran off to check her half-dozen locations. She disappeared in back for fifteen minutes.
She came back with my order partially filled, I was to "come back" for the rest, as they were out of stock.
"How come you didn't give me my prescription back?"
"The pharmacist was working on it so he just finished it up."
I and my fellow "wait-ee's" were disrespected at every stage. The "twenty minutes" was a pacifier, not a real number. My wishes were ignored. The pharmacist may have profited from that one order, but I'll never go back. It was the pharmacy in Superstore, in case you were wondering.

Lady Lee

wow JG I've used the Superstore pharmacy in Winnipeg and they were great.

Now I'm at a little one that isn't open on the weekend. I'm going to change when I get my new prescripts

But you are right customer service was definitely missing in that store

codeblue

(((LL)))

So sorry to hear of your dr. problems...and yes....I don't like them either.

In 1995 I had a mammogram. There were a couple of suspicious spots on it. My family dr. didn't know what to do. I found a breast cancer specialists in a city about an hour south of where I was living. I brought my x-rays. Before I went I did a ton of "research".

I showed the breast cancer specialist my x-ray and he said: "What do you want me to do?"

I was furious!!! I said: can't you biopsy it? He said: no, it is so small we can't find it......(geez....that's a lot of help).

I had to come up with a solution: can you take more x-rays? (I don't know why I was even there at that point)

Yes we can.

The x-ray showed the same results and they told me to get more in 6 months and there was NOTHING for me to do.

I was so mad on the car ride home I felt like I was ripped off by someone pretending to be a breast cancer specialist!!!

I had x-rays in 6 months....it was clear. I had to go in 6 more months...clear.

I waited 10 years before I got another mammogram....

I sincerely hope your family doctor can help you....seems to be the only one with brains that is totally aware of your "condition"....

CodeBlue

jgnat

My GP sister says finding and keeping a good pharmacy is as important as keeping a GP. They get to know you, and will be alert for drug interactions.

My pharmacist friend heartily agrees! She, of course, recommends a small, locally-run business. I like a talkative doctor and a talkative pharmacist. In case any professionals reading this are wondering, some people really do want to be informed.

You can help your friendly neighbourhood pharmacist by giving them as much lead-time as possible for your order. Drugs are expensive to stock. If you are a regular, they have a pretty good idea what to keep in stock.

Big Dog

Much of the problem is the pedestal that they have been placed on in society, and a huge disservice has been done to them through the movies and television. Idiotic medical shows and movies have painted them as living gods, all knowing, all seeing, etc and unfortunately many doctors have bought into the hype. The fact of the matter is while bright and well trained they are people and they have limitations and are not nearly as all knowing and all seeing as those portrayed on lame brain medical shows.

See them as the trained professionals that they are but don't give them omniscent powers or totally disregard your role in the process and that helps things immensely.

Lady Lee

CB Sometimes it isn't what they say but rather HOW they say it.

JG Hmmm Maybe I should keep the pharmacist I have. He knows me by name and keeps close tabs on what I am taking. I've never had one do that before. But he is everything you say is valuable.

BG Yes too many of them think they are like gods. But I think that is changing. People come in to see a doctor now and they are much better informed than ever before. Many people are looking on the internet to find their problems. By the time they get in to see the doctor they tell HIM what they think is wrong. I find the younger doctors are far more able to listen and most I have met don't get their backs up when the patient starts talking.

jgnat

Hmmm, new doctors. You might be on to something, Lady Lee. Did you know that evidence of compassion is one of the entrance requirements to get in to the University of Alberta medical program? The entrance examiners look at the volunteer record of the applicant, not just marks. The educators may be slow, but they are catching on.

Doctors - I'm beginning to hate them

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