Dr. Grumpy: "This is Dr. Grumpy, returning a page."
Mr. Florida: "Yeah, I'm a patient of Dr. Cortex, and I left my medicine back in Grumpyville. I'm visiting family in Orlando."
Dr. Grumpy: "Okay, do you have a pharmacy number there?"
Mr. Florida: "Um, no. Do you recommend any pharmacies near my hotel?"
Dr. Grumpy: "Sir, I have no idea what's there. Why don't you look around the area you're in, or ask someone at the hotel desk?"
Mr. Florida: "Am I allowed to do that?"
Dr. Grumpy: "Yes."
Mr. Florida: "Do you know what medications I'm on?"
Dr. Grumpy: "You mean you don't?"
Mr. Florida: "I told you, I left the bottle at home. I think it was in milligrams. Does that help?"
Dr. Grumpy: "Do you have a way of looking them up?"
Mr. Florida: "Of course. I keep them all on my iPhone."
Dr. Grumpy: "Where is that?"
Mr. Florida: "In my hand. I'm talking on it."
thanks Dr. Grumpy. I have been an ICU nurse for nearly 30 years, and I know that on July 1st, when those new interns started, the good ones listened. thanks for saying it.
ReplyDeleteJomama
One good sign. He doesn't know how many milligrams. From which you can conclude that the missing drug isn't oxycontin. Could be worse.
ReplyDeleteIt wasn't a controlled drug, and was a perfectly reasonable, legitimate, request.
ReplyDeleteIt was just the way he handled it that drove me nuts.
Ok, let's start from the beginning.
ReplyDeleteWhen my neurologist gets surly,I'll show him a copy of this post. Jeez Maria, I've never acted like that to a doctor.
ReplyDeleteSkullCandy
It always amazes me that reasonably intelligent, normal everyday people can suddenly turn to blithering, senseless idiots when confronted with a minor emergency coupled with the need to talk to a professional - it seems especially severe when it's a medical or law enforcement professional. This guy probably could have handled 'I left a fire in the fireplace' or 'i think I left the shower running' emergency in a timely, sensible manner - as long as he didn't have to talk to a cop, doctor or nurse during the procedure. Why is it as soon as there's a medical tag or a badge involved that we revert to the logic and reasoning of a 5 year old?
ReplyDeleteSomeone upthread mentioned oxycontin, which reminded me of this news story that may interest you Dr. Grumpy.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.cbc.ca/news/health/story/2012/02/17/oxycontin-warning-first-nations.html
you know doc! those green pills with the white stripes on them. I take them in the morning; for my heart or my blood pressure or something like that!
ReplyDelete"And you'll never guess what I have in my OTHER hand..."
ReplyDeleteMust have taken the "stupidity" pills instead of his regular meds - excellent planning there, Einstein!
ReplyDeletemurgatr
Pharm.Tech. RDC'06