They're giving me the wrong prescription and can't understand what I'm saying!
By mentalward
@mentalward (14691)
United States
April 19, 2009 7:22am CST
Last Wednesday, I received a phone call from a nurse at my doctor's office. I had recently had bloodwork done and she told me that my B-12 level was low and I should come in to pick up a prescription. Okay, fine. I'll be in later.
A couple of hours later, she calls again, advising me that my vitamin D level was low and to come in to pick up a prescription. Uh, okay, sure.
I went in and they handed me the Rx for vitamin D. I asked about the B-12. "No, nothing else was left for you." I told the recepionist that I had been called twice that day about the D and B-12. She went to ask the nurse. The nurse came out and said that she never called me about B-12.
Uh, yes, she did, but okay, fine. She made a mistake. I was more concerned for whomever she SHOULD have called not picking up their needed B-12 Rx and said so. They weren't concerned at all. Okay, fine. I left.
The next day, the pharmacy called me to inform me that another Rx I had phoned in had no refills and the doctor wouldn't give a new Rx until I had called him. Since I was in the neighborhood, I stopped in and told the receptionist what the pharmacy had said, naming the specific drug, Xanax.
The receptionist got the nurse, who said, "I told you yesterday, you don't need B-12, only D." I told her I was not there about that, this was about the Xanax. She left and my doctor came out. He said, "You don't need B-12, only D."
I'm pretty frustrated by now. I told him this has nothing to do with B-12 or D, it's about Xanax. Okay, he finally understands. "I'll have it called in for you." Okay, fine.
The next day I went to pick up all my prescriptions. Xanax was not among them. I asked and they said that no one had phoned the Rx in. Great!
I called the doctor's office, got the receptionist who forwarded me to voicemail. The voicemail message said, "We'll return your call within 48 to 72 hours."
Good grief! Okay, breathe... deep, relaxing breaths. I left the message that the doctor was supposed to have someone phone this Rx in the day before and that I needed it before the weekend was out. A few hours later, the nurse called to say that she had never been told to phone the Rx in the day before, but she had just done so.
Okay, fine. A few hours later, I call to ask if the Rx was ready at the pharmacy. "No, we don't usually carry this particular drug and won't have it until Monday." HUH??? "We don't carry Xanax EXTENDED RELEASE."
What the...??? I've never taken Xanax Extended Release! Why the heck am I getting it now? The original Rx was for Xanax; plain, simple Xanax.
I'm sorry this took so long but, what do you think? Time to find a new doctor? One who can read his own records and who has an office staff who has an I.Q. (combined) over a double-digit number?
9 people like this
23 responses
@bellaofchaos (11538)
• United States
19 Apr 09
Call the insurance company and file a complaint except that this time tell them that this one has to do with quality of care. This doctor and his staff should not be doing anything in the medical field. grrrrrr. Make sure when you make the complaint that it is as detailed as possible and if you have any proof ask them for an address where you can send the proof so that when they send it to the medical board for review this doctors a$$ is grilled.
1 person likes this
@bellaofchaos (11538)
• United States
20 Apr 09
Actually you have several complaints that should be filed. the privacy, the negligence and now you can have one because they didn't give you files when you needed it for a medical hearing. Most doctors offices will tell you that if you want files copied to give them at least a week. But if you need them for a hearing or something other that you can't give them time and it's crucial to you and your health then they have to give it to you when needed no hassle. grrrr. these places piss me off. You can have the social security office request these records and if they don't get them in their entirety then they can file a compliant on your behalf. but seriously this place needs a quarter stick of dynamite. I have a feeling that most of their patients are to afriad to speak up against them. I'm sorry that you are going through this .. I would keep a tablet if I were you and take notes or when you go to your doctors take a digital recorder and record the visit. And since you have to notify the doctor you are recording him say that due to your brian fog you are keeping the best records by way of recording .. This way if his nurses happen to be bad mothing you or any other patient your handy dandy digital recorder will pick it up and then you can go on your merry way and file suit, with proof and the fact that he new your were recording it , it's admissable.
I know I know I'm evil!!! But I take no crap.
@mentalward (14691)
• United States
19 Apr 09
I will definitely do that, bella! I do have records of this prescription, which has been Xanax, 0.5 mg, for a LONG time now. The doctor and I never discussed changing this prescription so he should not have it in his records. I'm sure the pharmacy has a record of me requesting a refill for Xanax, because I phoned it in and it's automatically recorded.
So, there should be no record of Xanax ER except when they phoned it in from the doctor's office. I WILL be picking this prescription up tomorrow, just to have it on record. I will also be picking up my records from them as soon as possible.
(That's an issue in itself... when I asked them for a copy of my records to take to my disability hearing, I was told (by a staff member) that I couldn't get them for at LEAST two weeks! HUH??? Just how long does your copy machine take to make one copy? It's not like they're so very busy in that office, unless you take into consideration that they couldn't possibly cut into their 'laughing at the patient's problems' time!)
Thank you so much for your advice! I honestly didn't have a clue about where to start complaining before I wrote this discussion.
1 person likes this
@Shar19 (8231)
• United States
19 Apr 09
This is exactly the reason why so many of us are on anti anxiety medications. I know numerous people who get the run around when dealing with their doctor's offices and pharmacies over the phone and in person. Can't anyone ever get a prescription right anymore?
I know numerous people who get the run around when dealing with their doctor's offices and pharmacies over the phone and in person. Can't anyone ever get a prescription right anymore? 1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
20 Apr 09
Hope you don't mind, but I'm laughing here. This almost sounds like an Abbott & Costello routine of Who's on first? Except in this case it's the Vit-D and B-12 and Xanax
But seriously I would definitely think about switching doctors..not only does the doctor sound incompetent but the nurse/receptionist--hell your pharmacist does sound all there either
But seriously I would definitely think about switching doctors..not only does the doctor sound incompetent but the nurse/receptionist--hell your pharmacist does sound all there either@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
20 Apr 09
Did you have any luck getting your prescription today?
Hope you did take what I said the wrong way. The only reason your dilemma struck me so funny is that I've been there. My own frustrations in not being understood and being made to feel like I didn't know what the heck I was talking about and also being made to feel like I was an idiot...all when I KNEW I was right
@mentalward (14691)
• United States
20 Apr 09
Hi, pye. I HAD to respond to your comment, even though it's very late and I need to get to sleep. After doing a quick looksee and the comments, I came to yours and had to laugh myself and HAD to respond now instead of putting it off until later.
No, I don't mind if you laugh. Laugh away! One of these days I'll be able to look back on this and laugh, too. It IS funny when it's not happening to you at that moment because it most definitely does fit that "Who's On First" scenario.
They couldn't get it through their thick skulls that I was talking about Xanax, NOT vitamin B-12 or D. That was their screwup from the day before; this is a completely NEW screwup. Dummies!
But, in this case, the pharmacist is innocent. I've switched pharmacies because I used to go to WalMart, where they messed up almost every time I got a new Rx.
No, the nurse called in the wrong prescription. Of course, this doesn't let the doctor or the receptionist off the hook. They've all proven themselves to be incompetent morons.
I can't wait to talk to these idiots tomorrow when I TRY to make them understand that I was never on Xanax ER, I never talked about it with my doctor nor he to me, and that I want them to phone in a prescription for XANAX, plain Xanax!
Sigh. I'll probably have a brand new discussion on how they fudge this one up.
I don't know if you watch the show 'Seinfeld' but there was an episode where Elaine went to see a doctor about her neck and said something and the doctor started writing. She asked him what he was writing and he just wrote some more. Finally she found out that the doctor had written that she was being "difficult". She wasn't being difficult at all, she just couldn't make them see what she was trying to say, the same problem I'm having. After that, the doctor wouldn't treat her so she went to see another doctor, who had been warned about her being difficult so he wouldn't see her.
She ended up going to a veterinarian where it looked like she would finally be seen by a doctor, when the doctor got a telephone call and said, "Yes, as a matter of fact, they're here right now" meaning, of course, word was getting out about her being "difficult".
I'm beginning to feel like Elaine! But, the more this doctor and his staff try to make me feel like I'm being "difficult", the more they're showing themselves to be complete morons.
I don't know if you watch the show 'Seinfeld' but there was an episode where Elaine went to see a doctor about her neck and said something and the doctor started writing. She asked him what he was writing and he just wrote some more. Finally she found out that the doctor had written that she was being "difficult". She wasn't being difficult at all, she just couldn't make them see what she was trying to say, the same problem I'm having. After that, the doctor wouldn't treat her so she went to see another doctor, who had been warned about her being difficult so he wouldn't see her.
She ended up going to a veterinarian where it looked like she would finally be seen by a doctor, when the doctor got a telephone call and said, "Yes, as a matter of fact, they're here right now" meaning, of course, word was getting out about her being "difficult".
I'm beginning to feel like Elaine! But, the more this doctor and his staff try to make me feel like I'm being "difficult", the more they're showing themselves to be complete morons.1 person likes this
@CatsandDogs (13963)
• United States
19 Apr 09
I KNOW how much of that I'd take!! NONE!! I'd have been off that table and out the damned door in a flash that they wouldn't know what to do and I'd have gone OFF on them!! How dare they make fun of your symptoms!! And how they're trying to make you out to be a liar or that you don't know what they're talking about.... I'd have their heads in my hands chewed off!! OMG!!!! The whole office, patients, nurses and the quack of a doctor all would KNOW exactly how I feel right then and there!! Marti, report them to the medical board for they sooooo deserve it!!
1 person likes this
@mentalward (14691)
• United States
19 Apr 09
Yep, they sure are. I've had it with them. I think the patients who see him do so more because he's convenient.
But, I'm not buying an emergency loaf of bread! This is not a convenience store but it sure seems like it! High prices, low quality.
Worse than that, how many other patients are being treated just as badly? I'm going to see what I can do to have this doctor and his staff shape up or go into another business!
@TwiLighT74 (18)
• Turkey
20 Apr 09
After this all, I would surely consult a different doctor. This not only confused you. How you can be sure that you finally get the true medicine? Go to different doctor and let there control your blood levels again.
@mentalward (14691)
• United States
20 Apr 09
Actually, I saw my rheumatologist since seeing this doctor and she told me she was trying to get a copy of the bloodwork report but they were being very stingy about sharing any information with her.
My rheumatologist is also an internist and is a GREAT doctor. SHE wants to get to the cause of things like low vitamin levels in the blood while my primary care physician just wants to prescribe a pill or send you to a specialist so he won't have to deal with your problems.
I will be seeing my rheumatologist as my primary care physician from now on. Not only is she great, but her staff is wonderful and on-the-ball.
@TwiLighT74 (18)
• Turkey
20 Apr 09
great choice ;) And about what u said in up, the doctors must ask about new medicine normally for they know new given medicine is compatible with this you have already.
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
22 Apr 09
as I said in the last discussion you need to report these f**kups, no more needs to be said about them they just not be in practice, the stupid doctor or his staff, yes find another doctor but report the a**holes.
@AmbiePam (85423)
• United States
19 Apr 09
Oh boy can I relate! I never had this trouble until I went on disability. So if you aren't on disability yet and you're having these issues, just wait until you get on disability! It took me two weeks one time to get the muscle relaxer I was supposed to have filled. I went to the pharmacy and doctor's office at least three times each, and made mumerous phone calls. When they returned my calls they always had the wrong idea of why I called. Apparently, someone else gets the message and they pass it on to the person who is supposed to help, only the first person didn't relay it properly.
I kid you not, but once I got a call returned to me from my doctor's office. I had asked if they had called in my migraine medication. The nurse called me back and said okay Amber, now you want to know if it is safe to take migraine medication because you're pregnant. I was like, what? Are you nuts? I'm not pregnant, I have no kids, and why in the world would you think that from the message I left? It was pitiful. I never lost my temper, but I almost did. I think if I had lost my temper it might have been so bad I'd have given myself a stroke!
@dragon54u (31636)
• United States
19 Apr 09
I think that you should find another doctor before this one kills you! There is no excuse for that many mistakes--can you imagine what the other patients are going through? How many are on the wrong meds or don't get those that they need? Start looking for another doc! 
@Barb42 (4214)
• United States
19 Apr 09
I hear your frustration! YES, time to find a new DOCTOR. My husband had the same problem with his medication for his thyroid. I called them and they were to call in his 30 day supply and make him a 90 day prescription that HE was picking up when he went to have X-rays. Well, he picked up the 90 day prescription, went to the pharmacy to get his 30 day one and it wasn't even called in the day before. I called the Drs office back and got his nurse. She said, "I'll call in that prescription right now". Now, I had explained, "he needs the 30 day supply now. He's already picked up the 90 day prescription this morning." Well, he called me in a few minutes and said, "CAN you believe they called in the 90 day prescription?" Do these people NOT listen? It took them 2 weeks about the bloodwork to let us know, and THEN, it was me that had to call to find out what was going on! The woman on the front desk in looney, and the one who retired last fall ran that office with an iron thumb! She knew what she was doing and always called me about my mother's bloodwork. I had to call them about my mother's, as well. I just don't think the woman does her job and she's the one who should have called about my husband's bloodwork and never did. They DID call when they got the results of his X-rays on his leg, believe it or not!
@Barb42 (4214)
• United States
19 Apr 09
By the way, the DR my mother and husband uses makes out his prescriptions from his laptop, they are then printed out and given to the patient. Only thing, my husband wasn't in the office when his bloodwork came in, so his wasn't printed out for him. But they did send my Mother a prescription in the mail once when she had a low VIT D count.
@candymarie (1368)
• Canada
20 Apr 09
Oh my goodness! I would say switch offices mainly because 1) They can't admit to their mistake, and 2) they have a bad record keeping system, whatever it may be.
If that phone issue happens again, ask them to state the patients name, and if they say YOUR name, right down the time they called, and the name of the person who called you to tell you, this way you can say, "Uh, yeah, you did, at such and such a time, I asked you to verify the name, I asked your name, You MUST remember this, regardless of how many people you speak to in a day, and you SO can't deny this right now."
But then again, you might just have to bite the bullet, realize that it's a busy office, and MAYBE be patient with them a little bit longer. I'm not saying march in there and be patronizing of course.
Also, when you go to pick up the prescription, maybe have them call the doctor's office with you standing there and see what you eavesdrop on.
And if you do end up going to a new office, I wish you the best of luck, where I live it's rather difficult and it took me quite some time and a lot of research to finally find one for myself.
@shiwangipeswani (613)
• India
20 Apr 09
Dear freind
its now high time to change your doctor ,how can you continue the treatement with such irresponsible team of doctors.
@mentalward (14691)
• United States
20 Apr 09
I agree with you 100 percent, shi. I refuse to see this doctor again. My rheumatologist is a MUCH better physician and, as she is also an internist, she will now also be my personal care physician. SHE cares!
I realized that, every time I see my rheumatologist, they ALWAYS ask what medicines I take, is there anything new, am I still on the same ones. That seems like a very vital part of being able to treat you properly. My primary care physician has NEVER ONCE asked what medications I am on, not once!
Since I have had several issues with this doctor and his staff, I will be filing a complaint against them. If they could make so many mistakes with me, who knows how many other patients of his have experienced similar or even worse things from him?
@chesaid (104)
• Philippines
20 Apr 09
that would be a miss communication, less effort, unconcern, drama of the staff. this must not actually happening in a clinic or in a hospital. medicines are very important. medical staff are at times irresponsible and lazy.
better go find other doctor. and it is a not good for a doctor to put his phone on voice mail. he is a doctor. anytime a patient or his staff will call him for an emergency...
@mentalward (14691)
• United States
20 Apr 09
The first thing their voicemail says is, "If this is an emergency, call 911." They don't want to deal with emergencies. That must make things too real for them. They seem to be in a fantasy world where all they want to do is make money.
This doctor and his staff are horribly incompetent. I've had other incidences with them but have let them slide as "human mistakes" but now I realize that there are far too many mistakes from this same doctor and his staff.
Doctors are supposed to help make, or keep, us healthy or as healthy as possible, not brush us off with a few pills to get us out of there as fast as possible.
It's not like this doctor has too many patients. There are 3 doctors and 2 nurse practitioners in this practice and the waiting room is never filled. Everyone there has more than enough time to treat each patient as a human being and listen to everything each one has to say.
I've seen them spend more time "ooh-ing and ah-ing" over a puppy that a former co-worker had brought in to show off than they spend with any of the patients! The puppy should have NEVER been brought into a doctor's office!
Oh well. I'll be seeing a new doctor from now on, one that I trust immensely and feel very comfortable with.
@KrauseHome (36448)
• United States
20 Apr 09
My goodness are you having problems with this Doctor. In your Best interest your Best bet is to Run not walk in finding a New Doctor. Personally when they keep on mixing up prescriptions and care like this, that is a Scary thing, and I would be quite upset if I were you as well. Wishing you the Best.
@Grandmaof2 (7579)
• Canada
19 Apr 09
This isn't going to be of much comfort but looking for a different doctor is a huge waste of time at least that's the way it is out here. They have too many patients and making way too much money, and who are you???? No fooling you're lucky they even remember who you are. 
@Jezebella (1446)
• United States
20 Apr 09
I think you really need to look for a new doctor. if he and the staff isn't listening or making mistakes like that. i wouldn't be able to trust them.
@commanderxo (1494)
• Canada
19 Apr 09
I'd say you just answered your own questions, my dear. All of them, INCLUDING the double-digit number!
cdrxo
@Opal26 (17679)
• United States
20 Apr 09
Hey mentalward! I think that you do need to find a doctor
with a more competent staff most definitely! I worked in
a few doctor's offices and I called prescriptions in for the
doctors and I didn't make mistakes, did them immediately and
made sure the patient got the meds they needed! If my doctor
did that to me I would find someone else! I am on too many
meds to go through that! I have that problem with my Psychiatrist!
He doesn't seem to be able to call the pharmacy when he is supposed!
I don't know why! He says he is doing it right after he hangs up
the phone with me and then doesn't and it drive me crazy! I have
gotten to the point that this week I am making my Therapist sit
in with me and him to make sure he does what he's supposed to
because I can't trust him! That's pretty pathetic!
@lynnemg (4529)
• United States
20 Apr 09
I think that the doctor's office has a serious problem of mis-communication here. Have you had this kind of problem before? If not, then maybe you could talk to them and find out what the problem is. Not that it is excusable, but is there a new nurse there or any other staff change?
This makes me wonder what other mistakes have been made recently. I would hate to think that something serious has gone wrong.
If you have had this problem before, I would find a new doctor immediately. If this is a one-time thing,and they have been reliable up to this point, maybe they dseserve a second chance. If you stay with that doctor and it ever happens again, I would not hesitate to get a new doctor.
