Friday, May 12, 2017

The visitor

I'm in my office looking through MRI reports.


Mary: "Hey doc, there's a drug rep up front, says he needs to talk to you. Says it's not a sales call."

Dr. Grumpy: "Okay, just send him back."

(drug rep comes in)

Dr. Grumpy: "Hi, Matt. What's up?"

Drug rep Matt: "Sorry to bother you, but I was told to come talk to you about a weird request my company got."

Dr. Grumpy: "About..."

Drug rep Matt: "A patient of yours called my company, and said you'd authorize her to get 4 replacement injector pens and we just had to contact your office. I thought I'd come by myself, since we hadn't heard anything about this from you guys."

Dr. Grumpy: "Did you hear what happened to the pens?"

Drug rep Matt: "That's the weird part. She contacted 3 service reps, told one the pens were stolen, another that they were never delivered, and another that her boyfriend backed over them with his car."

Long pause

Dr. Grumpy: "Actually, she and some friends got drunk and then tried using them to pierce their ears."

Long pause 2 

Drug rep Matt: "Are you shittin' me?"

Dr. Grumpy: "Nope."

Drug rep Matt: "I'm going to assume your story is the correct one?"

Dr. Grumpy: "That's the one she called me with Saturday morning."

Drug rep Matt: "I'm pretty sure we don't have a program to replace pens lost through, um, misadventure."

Dr. Grumpy: "Believe me. I understand. We've been dealing with her all week."

Long pause 3.

Drug rep Matt: "Thanks. I'll let you go. Wow. This sounds like something you'd read on a med-blog."






at

20 comments:

  1. AnonymousMay 12, 2017 at 5:52 AM

    this is a gift that keeps on giving.

    I assume she will come back again to your office - to be continued.

    ReplyDelete
  2. RandallwMay 12, 2017 at 7:13 AM

    I think this is the first time you've had a recurring story. I'm eager to hear further events as they unfold.

    ReplyDelete
  3. ShaeMay 12, 2017 at 8:21 AM

    My heart goes out to you and your staff. I'm loving reading all these installments, but I know how bad it sucks to live them. Sometimes there's just no convincing crazy.

    ReplyDelete
  4. PowersMay 12, 2017 at 9:38 AM

    ... or a comedy med blog.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Old RPhMay 12, 2017 at 9:59 AM


    I'm guessing that in the next episode Ms Myelin calls her senator and gets the government involved in this crime being commited against her.

    ReplyDelete
  6. bobbieMay 12, 2017 at 12:10 PM

    I think you should "invite" her to see a different doctor...

    ReplyDelete
  7. Ms. DonnaMay 12, 2017 at 12:31 PM

    First, I am laughing at the continuing saga.

    BUT . . .what happens if Ms. Myelin goes w/o her injectors? And is discussing the case with the drug rep a HIPPA violation?

    That's all the not-funny for now.

    ReplyDelete
  8. AnonymousMay 12, 2017 at 5:54 PM

    Ms Donna Why would this be a HIPPA violation? The Ms Myelin has contacted both her physician and the drug company, and apparently she used Dr. Grumpy's name in the conversation with the drug rep. She made the untruthful statement that Dr. Grumpy had authorized the replacement, and for them to contact him.

    So where is the HIPPA violation?? SHE told THE DRUG CO to contact him. And Dr. Grumpy just related the story that she told him. The facts as he knows them.

    Sometimes bureaucrats get too carried away with thinking that everything is a HIPPA violation.

    ReplyDelete
  9. LabratMay 12, 2017 at 7:22 PM

    Part of me wishes this story was just that- a story. But from working in the healthcare industry I know there are people out there really that stupid.
    That said, looking forward to the rest of it. It gave me a good laugh after a craptastic couple of days.

    ReplyDelete
  10. AnonymousMay 13, 2017 at 12:01 AM

    I call BS - on the fact the drug rep actually said you'd find this on a blog. The rest of it I believe completely because I've learned to not be surprised by the public anymore

    ReplyDelete
  11. AnonymousMay 13, 2017 at 7:44 AM

    HIPAA. For the love of god, H-I-P-double-A. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. It's a silly pet peeve but I so often see people yowling about "won't someone think of the HIPPA" and it makes me think "1 - don't bang on about something you can't spell, and 2 - hippopotamus."

    ReplyDelete
  12. Just another CPhTMay 13, 2017 at 8:58 AM

    This is pure internet GOLD! LOLOLOLOL

    ReplyDelete
  13. AnonymousMay 13, 2017 at 4:22 PM

    Sorry, Anonymous at 7:40, I spelt is as HIPPA as I presumed Ms Donna was correct. I live in Ontario, and ours is PHIPA. So made the mistake of presuming that the other poster was correct.
    Regardless, people still get their knickers in a knot about non-violations.

    ReplyDelete
  14. ShashMay 13, 2017 at 6:37 PM

    I think Matt has twigged to your identity Ibee....

    And, yes people; HIPAA is the spelling.

    ReplyDelete
  15. CandiMay 13, 2017 at 10:10 PM

    If someone posts this on Not Always Right, and someone else tries to say it's fake, I am so linking them here...

    This woman is amazing, and not in a good way.

    ReplyDelete
  16. AnonymousMay 14, 2017 at 1:26 AM

    Several lessons here here, the the important one for all the medical students following the saga is that you best friend when the stercor shows signs of being about to hit the fan is contemporaneous, dated, timed and signed note you made.

    ReplyDelete
  17. AnonymousMay 14, 2017 at 5:30 PM

    What if this is the gal that ends up in the hospital for MS exacerbation with a heavy dose of methylprednisolone, say 5 or 6 grams? (I hope this gal is seriously considering this is not something she should be doing in the future).

    ReplyDelete
  18. ndenunzMay 15, 2017 at 12:05 PM

    Sounds like it's time for the discharge letter.

    ReplyDelete
  19. tbunniMay 15, 2017 at 3:17 PM

    I KNOW we've had patients this stupid in our practice (somewhere in the wonderful Pacific Northwest), but we've never had one carry his/her stupidity openly to the levels achieved by Ms. Myelin (i.e., she bakes, frosts and takes the cake!)

    Oh, Ibee. Please tell me you plan to write your memoirs upon your retirement. With three kids (not to mention dogs & fish) you will need the book income, and the world needs the laughs!

    ReplyDelete
  20. evodevoMay 18, 2017 at 9:53 PM

    As an employee of the Post Office, I can commiserate .... These people are everywhere .....

    ReplyDelete

So wadda you think?