My letter to my doctor

[Undertoad]

Dear Dr. Brown,

I have enjoyed being your patient for the last several years.

Last Thursday I realized that I was almost out of medication, and that I needed a refill via your office. I called and made an appointment for July 13, as it had been more than six months since I’d seen you. I verified that this appointment was a thorough physical and not a mere checkup, and would require a blood workup, and that I would fast overnight. The office then put me through to the prescription voicemail. I left my details, along with the note that I had an appointment.

Friday I went to the pharmacy to find the prescription wasn’t there. I remembered that the prescription voicemail line had cautioned that it may take 48 hours. I turned on my legendary patience.

Sunday I took my last pill.

Monday I went to the pharmacy to find the prescription wasn’t there. I called your prescription line again and left information again. I asked, in my message, if I could specifically be called if the prescription could not be filled for any reason, since like any XXX user, my body is dependent on the medication. I have legendary patience, so despite the appearance that the system was starting to fail me, I stayed on track.

Tuesday I went to the pharmacy and the prescription wasn’t there. So I called your office again and, instead of going to the prescription refill voicemail, I got a live human. I explained that I really needed that prescription. I have legendary patience, and have worked in telephone customer support, so I remained friendly and confident in my call. The person on the other end of the line said, and I quote, "Oh your chart is right here!" Great!

Wednesday morning I went to the pharmacy and the prescription wasn’t there.

I cancelled the rest of my morning and drove to your office. With my legendary patience, I sat and said nothing while I waited the requisite twenty minutes to see a nurse. When the nurse finally conferenced with me, she explained that since I had not seen anyone for six months and there were no samples available, my only recourse to avoid the side-effects of XXX withdrawl would be to go to the ER.

Somewhat in shock, I walked to the front desk where the woman there told me that this might be expected, after all, I had cancelled my appointment.

Dr. Brown, I assure you, I had done no such thing.

Now, I have not thrown a tantrum in... ever! in my adult lifetime. I am as even-keeled as they come. I pride myself in being an emotionally-controlled person who handles adverse matters by... well, writing long thoughtful letters of complaint. But I was through. My legendary patience reached its limit in your reception area, where at the very top of my lungs, I shrieked that your office was incompetent and was harming my health and sending me to the ER.

I apologize for screaming, but I did not have a bullhorn handy. And, it was all true.

The three and a half hours waiting around at the ER gave me enough time to reflect, and regain some of that legendary patience, so I decided not go right back and demand my patient records from your office on the spot. I realized that it would probably only make more trouble. I was by then ashamed because I was taking up an ER spot, surrounded by people much worse off than myself. I had to remind myself that it was your staff who told me to go there.

At this point, I only write this so that you know the facts, so you know why someone exploded in the reception area, and why I’m no longer a patient. You tell your patients that their health is important to you. I believe you, but this message is completely undermined by your staff.

40% of Americans will try "alternative medicine" this year. People are using major medications they get over the Internet from Mexico and Canada. The doctor-patient relationship is in tatters. People’s faith in doctors and the entire system is at an all-time low. The humanity in the entire business is reduced to tort, borderline insurance fraud, and scummy socialistic deals. And now, I know why.

It would have been five minutes for someone in your office to see me, hear the whole simple explanation, and write that script. It would have been zero minutes if the staff had gotten it right in the first place. Now I walk away from this whole situation knowing that A) I’m smarter than the system, and B) The system doesn’t give a shit about me – it assigns a hundred gatekeepers to prevent me from doing the right thing. They even prevent me from talking frankly to my doctor... thus this letter. (The Xxxx site doesn't list your email address... gatekeepers.)

So when the system tells me I shouldn’t self-medicate with herbs or self-insure or get drugs from Mexico, uh… isn’t that the same system that I know doesn’t give a shit about me?

There’s the facts, in case you want to be a part of the solution.