Monday, October 3, 2011

Sunday, 7:15 p.m.

Dr. Grumpy: "This is Dr. Grumpy, returning a page."

Mr. Albuquerque: "Hi, I want to know if I should be taking Plavix for a stroke."

Dr. Grumpy: "Did I prescribe it for you?"

Mr. Albuquerque: "No, my neurologist did. I've never seen you."

Dr. Grumpy: "Sir, I can't give out medical advice if you're not even my patient. Why don't you call your neurologist?"

Mr. Albuquerque: "I'm calling different parts of the country to get a consensus on if I should or shouldn't take it."

Dr. Grumpy: "You're welcome to make an appointment to see me, and discuss it."

Mr. Albuquerque: "That's ridiculous. I live in New Mexico, and there's no way I can travel that far."
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25 comments:

  1. AnonymousOctober 3, 2011 at 8:10 AM

    Oh yes, *clearly* YOU are the ridiculous party in this conversation.

    ReplyDelete
  2. ElliOctober 3, 2011 at 10:21 AM

    Hey, doesn't he get any credit for seeking professional advice? He could just self-diagnose and prescribe via Google, you know.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Karen WhiddonOctober 3, 2011 at 10:38 AM

    So he's making random calls to random doctors all over the country to see if they agree with his neurologist? And somehow, he found you.

    Why am I not surprised. Sheesh.

    ReplyDelete
  4. ThatgirlOctober 3, 2011 at 10:48 AM

    Was the idea that all the neurologists in New Mexico were in some sort of Plavix prescribing conspiracy?

    ReplyDelete
  5. Li'l AzathothOctober 3, 2011 at 11:22 AM

    "For some reason, so far Plavix is mostly big in the Northeast, except for New Hampshire, and also in the Rocky Mountain states. It's least popular in the Great Lakes states. My next question: would you be more likely to tell me to take it if there were some kind of marketing promotion with your local sports teams?"

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousOctober 3, 2011 at 11:45 AM

    how do so many strangers get access to your pager number??

    ReplyDelete
  7. bobbieOctober 3, 2011 at 11:55 AM

    Really???

    ReplyDelete
  8. Grumpy, M.D.October 3, 2011 at 11:58 AM

    It's not my pager. They called my answering service.

    ReplyDelete
  9. PA HoneybeeOctober 3, 2011 at 12:31 PM

    Amazing, simply amazing. So glad I don't get prior authorization calls on my cell! (yet)

    ReplyDelete
  10. AnonymousOctober 3, 2011 at 12:54 PM

    Glad to know specialist MDs get as many nutty calls as the rest of us. Plavix, eh? I sense a TIA coming, so he will be your or one of your tribe's pt soon.

    ReplyDelete
  11. AnonymousOctober 3, 2011 at 1:03 PM

    "If Plavix's Wikipedia page were just a little clearer on the topic, then none of us would have to go to all this trouble."

    ReplyDelete
  12. AnonymousOctober 3, 2011 at 1:09 PM

    "Okay, then, do you know how to say 'Plavix' and 'stroke' in French? France is supposed to have a really good health care system, and I just got a new international calling plan."

    ReplyDelete
  13. ERPOctober 3, 2011 at 1:26 PM

    Skype?

    ReplyDelete
  14. X-Ray chickOctober 3, 2011 at 2:42 PM

    Wow he called all over the country and never bother to see a neurologist in New Mexico? Maybe they are a rare breed there....

    ReplyDelete
  15. PharmerOctober 3, 2011 at 3:40 PM

    And nobody noticed that this coo-coo called on SUNDAY at 7:15? I am a little surprised it wasn't something more insane, like 2:15 AM.

    ReplyDelete
  16. w8ng2retireRPHOctober 3, 2011 at 5:40 PM

    funny to think about how many other neurologists also had the pleasure of speaking to him on sunday haha you and many others got a good WTF

    ReplyDelete
  17. a.generic docOctober 3, 2011 at 5:51 PM

    Didn't you know that your number is in the Albuquerque "What's On" guide for Sunday night under the listing:

    "Call neurologists all over the country for second, third, etc. opinions."

    I'm surprised you only got one call.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Loren PechtelOctober 3, 2011 at 6:28 PM

    He did see one in New Mexico. He's probably scared of the potential side effects and thought he could get a better (not to mention free) second opinion by surveying a bunch of neurologists.

    This actually isn't as nutty as some of the stuff we've seen on here.

    ReplyDelete
  19. OMDGOctober 3, 2011 at 6:32 PM

    People can be so creative! It's really amazing sometimes.

    ReplyDelete
  20. smartTechOctober 3, 2011 at 8:37 PM

    So that is what I am doing wrong...I am not polling ramdom doctors all over the country!

    ReplyDelete
  21. AnonymousOctober 3, 2011 at 10:51 PM

    Ummm... my answering service is instructed to ask, "Are you a current patient of Dr. X [ie me or whoever I'm covering for]" and "is this a true emergency that can't wait until office hours."

    ReplyDelete
  22. AnonymousOctober 4, 2011 at 1:44 AM

    Why didnt you tell him "what makes you think its my job to hand out free medical advice to someone Ive never met? Get a life, buddy".

    ReplyDelete
  23. Bob@thenestOctober 5, 2011 at 10:50 AM

    Next time he's going to conference a dozen docs in from all over the country just make one call.

    ReplyDelete
  24. cliffintokyoOctober 6, 2011 at 6:01 AM

    Obviously you need to move to NM to look after this patient......

    ReplyDelete
  25. PGYxOctober 16, 2011 at 4:54 PM

    once again, your answering service FAILS. shouldn't they only forward pages that pertain to your own patients or those you are covering?

    ReplyDelete

So wadda you think?